"When the Lord Calls"

Follows Judges.

Samuel’s Mom Hannah

Samuel entrusted to Eli.

Intro

1 Samuel 3 ESV

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.” Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” And Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.” And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.

We Must Prepare Ourselves to Hear the Call of God

Even when the word of the Lord seems rare, we need to prepare to Hear from God.

Verse 1 says that, “The word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.”

We must realize that sometimes when the Lord has not moved recently, is exactly when he will move. So we must always be ready.

Samuel was in a position to hear from and be used by God.

“Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.”

He was physically near to God’s sign of the covenant with his people.

We need to consider where we currently are in our lives. Are we in a position to be able to hear from the Lord?

What environment do you want for an important conversation?

His mother had helped place him there.

We need to recognize the way that others have placed us into a position to hear from God.

We need to be sure that those we have influence over we seek to lead into the presence of the Lord.

The obedience of others can affect our lives. And vice versa.

An example about what it means to be a successful parent.

Many might look at Hannah and feel sorry for her.

Her first and as far as she knew only son was only with her until he was weaned. What a sad life.

This shows a warped understanding of our relationship with our children and with God.

Eli led him in his service and ministry to the Lord.

We must seek to be discipled by the people around us.

We must do what we can to disciple those around us, to be a positive influence in their lives.

We need to do what we can to usher those in our lives into the presence of the Lord.

We Must Listen to Hear the Call of God

Samuel heard from the Lord twice and thought it was Eli calling him.

We must be able to discern the voice of the Lord in matters.

What voices are influencing you?

Parents and Family

Friends

Work

Media

Cultural Influences

The enemy

Can you tell the difference between the voice of the Lord and worldly voices?

Success for the enemy is not necessarily leading you into a life of shameful debauchery, but leading you to be disobedient to God’s calling on your life.

Satan is pleased to allow you to live as a “good person” and miss the salvation found in Jesus.

Satan is pleased to allow you to be a church attender when God is calling you to serve as an active participant.

Satan is pleased to allow you to be an active participant when God is calling you to be a teacher or leader.

and so on...

God will never lead you contrary to what he has already said in Scripture.

“I have heard a new thing from God...” Scary words.

Samuel listened to the advice of Eli that the Lord was calling Him.

We should consider the counsel of Godly friends when it comes to the Lord’s call upon our life.

What Samuel heard was life changing.

“Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.”

At first glance this might seem to be a good expression… but really it is not.

It is used what a specially severe judgement is pronounced.

2 Kings 21:12 ESV

therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.

Jeremiah 19:3 ESV

You shall say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing such disaster upon this place that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.

This is clear by what follows. The judgement against Eli’s house.

Remember Samuel was called by God to be a prophet of the Lord.

We often think of prophecy as the telling of the future. In secular media this is true. Sometimes this is true in Scripture.

In reality a prophet is one speak’s God’s truth to others.

Sometimes this is judgement of past events.

Sometimes this is what God will do in the future.

Sometimes both. (AS in this case: Judgement for past sin, what God will do because of it.)

Are we willing to listen even if what we hear from the Lord is hard?

Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”

Is this our response?

Or is it, “Speak, as long is it is what your servant wants to hear.”

As we see here, this was not a comfortable thing to hear from God.

What does “Hearing From God” look like today?

Hearing from God does not mean an audible voice.

Not that that is impossible. Samuel’s was.

Often a distinct impression of what needs to be done.

Consistently lined up with His word and work in the world.

God’s Call Upon My Life

Summing up these first two points...

-My parent’s raised me in church

-I went to church camp, even if my motive was to be with friends and have fun.

-When needing direction I called out to God.

-God distinctly and profoundly spoke into my life. What I heard changed my life.

-I had Godly people that helped me to discern the call of God.

-I had Godly people that helped disciple me and helped me live into my calling.

We Must Be Faithful When We Hear the Call of God

Eli’s son’s were rejected because of their blasphemy of the Lord.

Their rejection of the Lord led to the Lord rejecting them.

Being in the right place with the right people does not guarantee that God will use you.

From birth, they were in the same position as Samuel.

Raised by Eli in the presence of the Lord.

They scorned this and blasphemed God.

God can and does use rebellious people.

Rahab and the Spies.

The Apostle Paul.

God can and does use people of all sorts.

If you look at the list of people that God used in his service, there are all sorts.

NOAH got drunk

ABRAHAM was too old.

ISAAC was a daydreamer.

JACOB lied.

LEAH was ugly.

JOSEPH was abused.

MOSES was a murderer and couldn’t talk.

GIDEON was afraid.

SAMSON had long hair and was afraid.

RAHAB was a prostitute.

JEREMIAH and TIMOTHY were too young.

DAVID was a murderer and adulterer.

ELIJAH was suicidal.

ISAIAH preached naked.

JONAH ran from God.

NAOMI and RUTH were widows.

JOB went bankrupt.

JOHN THE BAPTIST ate bugs.

PETER denied Christ.

The DISCIPLES fell asleep while praying.

MARTHA worried about everything.

MARY MAGDLENE was demon possessed.

The SAMARITAN WOMAN was divorced…more than once…

ZACCHEUS was too small.

PAUL was a murderer.

TIMOTHY had an ulcer.

and LAZARUS was dead!

Remember the words of the apostle Paul:

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 ESV

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

All of the people that God uses have something in common. They listened to God’s call.

At some point, we must be obedient to be used by God.

At least used in the good sense.

Hophni and Phineas were used as examples of what not to do.

Judas was used by God through his disobedience.

Pilate was used by God through his crucifixion of Jesus.

God’s Calling Will often be to difficult or uncomfortable things.

It would be nice if God’s call was “Do very little, change nothing, and you will be blessed”

Consider the first thing that God has called Samuel to do. The very first thing.

Pronounce judgement upon the one who raised him to know and follow the Lord.

The very one who told him to go and say, “Speak, for your servant hears.”

The Lord Sustains Those Who Listen to The Call of God

“The Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.”

The Lord will enable those he calls to follow through on what he calls them to do.

Exodus 3:11–12 ESV

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

The Lord doesn’t call the equipped, but equips the called.

Samuel was nothing particularly special that the Lord should have used him.

He was in a position to be used by God, and he was obedient.

The Lord will empower us through our difficulty to accomplish His will.

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 ESV

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The Call of God in Your Life

General Call

Call to Repentance.

Call to Christian Living

Obedience

Submission to God

Service

Evangelism

Discipleship

Specific Call

Call to specific action

Share with this person.

Serve in this way.

Call to Specific Service

Teaching Roles

Deacons

Pastor/Elder

Teaching Roles

Missionary

What is God Calling You to Do Today?