Sermon Tone Analysis

ATTENTION

ME

As a pastor, I spend a lot of time in hospitals.

To this point that’s been as a vistor and not as a patient.

Of course, I realize that if I don’t die suddenly in some way, the day will come when I will not be the visitor, I will be the visited . . .

and with my family history, that could very well be heart trouble.

Let’s say I’m in the hospital and they’ve diagnosed some blockages in my heart arteries.

I’ve come in on the weekend and, of course, most of the doctors are off.

But, there’s this one heart surgeon they tell me about.

They say, “Now you’ll have to wait till the middle of next week for your surgery unless you let Dr. Smith do it.”

I say, “Well, tell me something about Dr. Smith.

Why is he here on the weekend?”

“Well, its because he’s not all that busy through the week, and he really likes to do surgery, so he works on the weekend.”

I ask, as of course you’d ask if it were you: “What do you mean, he’s not very busy.

Why isn’t he busy?”

The nurse looks a little flustered and she finally answers, “Well, it’s because of Dr. Smith’s background.”

Now, I’m getting nervous.

I ask, “What’s wrong with his background?

Where did he do his residency?”

“Well,” she answers, really nervous by now, “He didn’t do a residency.”

“He didn’t do a residency!

Why not?!” I ask.

“Well,” she says, “He figured that there were so many people dying with heart disease and that they needed so many doctors, he just needed to skip residency and go straight into practice.”

Of course, by now I really afraid.

I ask, “Well, why are you trying to get me to let him do my surgery??”

“Well,” she answers, “You really need surgery, and he really needs practice.

Besides, he’s been waiting for just the right surgery to come along.

He wants something really complicated so he can really hone his operating skill, and he’s willing to give your surgery a try.”

Now, do you think I’d let that guy close to me with a scalpel?

Absolutely not!!!

What’s the point of that foolish story?

Just this: When you look for someone to work for us or on us, we want someone who has the ability that only comes with experience.

If you’re looking for someone to do your surgery, seed your lawn, build your house, or fix your car, those are the people, you might say, you put on “speed dial.”

They are the people who have paid the price to gain the experience that leads to superior ability.

They are the people who were willing to take the time to learn by doing the little tasks.

They are the people who had the patience to wait for their opportunity.

They were the ones who didn’t chafe when they were “on hold” you might say waiting for their experience to catch up with their desire.

Now we understand that principle in the world of sports and even in the business world, but it’s a little harder to grasp in the church world.

In the church world, we tend to think that God is like the desperate pastor who’s got to find a warm body to stick in the nursery to watch kids so that his whole church doesn’t fall apart.

We tend to think that God is so desperate, He’s not willing to wait.

I want you to know . . .

that isn’t God.

God isn’t anxiously wringing His hands, taking whomever He can trick into serving Him.

No, actually, God’s call comes to some very specific people who have usually gone through a very specific process.

They are the people who have been willing to learn and develop and haven’t hung up the phone of service because they feel like they’ve been placed on “hold.”

YOU - NEED

And, of course, I really want you to listen!

Now don’t just do it because it will make me feel good.

Do it for the truth that might invade your life.

See I know that some of you are confused.

You thought you had surrendered to do the Will of God, but nothing seems to be happening.

You thought by now that He would have moved you out to another job, or stood you up behind a pulpit, but nothing’s happening.

You’re just kinda stuck in the same old place.

I want you to listen, because you may hear the “why” behind your confusion.

You may come to understand why nothing’s been happening.

Some of you need to listen because you’re disillusioned.

You look around you and notice the attitude of other Christian workers.

They may teach a class in our children’s ministry, and all they can do is gripe and tell you about how soon they’re going to quit.

You, on the other hand, took your job in that ministry with high hopes.

You had dreams, but then you started to listen to the wrong people.

The more they complained the more you began to doubt.

They complained about the kids; they complained about the materials; they complained about the materials; they complained about going to two services and their complaining slowly emptied your “joy bucket” till now you’re trying minister from an empty heart.

I want you to listen this morning.

God’s Word may be able to give you the right reason to stick with it.

Still others feel exploited.

You give and give and give and work so hard only to look around and see others dropping out.

Kids are demanding more and more.

You’ve been criticized for the way you’ve done things.

You feel used and abused and you’re about ready to quit.

God can reignite your passion if you’ll let him.

You see the answer for the confused, the disillusioned and the exploited is to begin to see this whole “call of God thing” the way He sees it.

It’s to begin to value it like He values it.

Its to forget about the opinion of many and covet the approval of one.

It is to be willing to wait for God’s “then” while working in the “here and now.”

BACKGROUND

That’s how it worked for Samuel.

He really didn’t go out looking for the call of God and he certainly didn’t wait around to receive it.

No, he got busy serving God right where he was and I believe that is one important reason God called him.

TRANSITION

If that is true, then what was it about Samuel service that so prepared him for the call he received?

Well, when you look at what the Bible says about this interesting little boy (for that’s what He was when he was called), you’ll see some patterns that characterized his servants and which might bear repeating.

In the first place

HE

EXPLANATION

DIV 1 - HIS SERVICE WAS PRACTICAL

In 3:15, it says that Samuel “opened the doors of the house of the Lord.”

We’ve already been told in chapter 2 that Samuel was working in the temple with Eli, and that, according to the pleasure Eli took in what Samuel was doing, he must have been Eli’s right hand man.

The simple truth was, Samuel made no demands and asked no special treatment.

He just did what needed to be done.

His service was practical.

He didnt’ mind doing the “little jobs.”

He didn’t demand that Eli turn him into a preacher or guarantee him recognition.

He was practical and he was joyfully serving right where he was.

APP 1

Which is just what you and I should be doing!

We should long to be in the place where God can use us and where He can call us to that place He wants for us to be.

If that’s going to happen in our lives, it will be because we begin to serve Him practically.

What I mean is, we can serve Him in the way our service is really needed.

So many people claim to want to serve God, but they want to serve Him on their own terms.

They want to do their own special “pet projects.”