As usual, you can read the transcript of the message below.
I Samuel 3:1-10
The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days, the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
2 One night, Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place.3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was.4 Then the Lord called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here I am.”5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy.9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
I
Samuel 3:1-10 WE STAND ON GUARD: SPEAK LORD,
WE ARE LISTENING
Springford Baptist Church:
July 5, 2020.
On
this Sunday following Canada Day, having just celebrated Canada’s
153rd
birthday as a country, we want to give careful thought to what is
expressed in our national anthem: “O
Canada, we stand on guard for Thee.”
This
phrase speaks of being ready to serve and ready to ensure that the
freedom and blessing of living in this country of Canada continues.
Each one of us has a role in this. Each of us must be willing to
“stand on guard” and to pray that God will use us to keep our
country of Canada as He wants us to be. This can only happen as our
churches (gatherings of Christian believers) in communities all
across Canada are listening for what God wants to say to us and as we
are making ourselves ready to serve. This really is “standing on
guard” and ready for God’s direction.
How can we hear what God wants to say to us?
How can we listen carefully for what the Lord wants us to understand and how He wants us to respond as a result? We all know the challenges of hearing what someone else is saying. If you yourself find it hard to hear, or live with someone who finds it hard to hear, this will ring very true.
I like to tell the story of a woman in one of the first churches where my husband Bob and I served as pastors. She was advanced in years and quite deaf. I called her on the phone one day and said, “Hello Annie, it’s Lola.” Her response was, “Mona”? “No” I said “Lola.” This went back and forth for awhile with me trying to speak more loudly and clearly and her convinced that I was saying “Mona.” Finally, she got the message and said “Oh it’s Lola.” Yes, I said relieved that she had finally understood. Then she said to me, “Then why did you say it was Mona”?…
Listening carefully takes a great deal of effort and desire to hear accurately.
God’s call on our lives is significant .From the time that we commit our lives to Jesus Christ and desire to follow His leading, there are many opportunities for us be called by God for the plans He has for us.
We, like Samuel, will need to respond, “Speak, for your servant is listening” (vs. 10b)
We will need to have ears to hear and hearts to obey…
I am inspired by people’s stories. They paint a picture of God’s faithfulness through the many varied experiences and circumstances of life.
In my work in Long Term Care, I am constantly reminded that people are so much more than what we see in the immediate here and now. This is true of all of us…
You need only look back through your photo albums or home movies to witness the many different phases of life. A lot of this gets posted on Facebook and social media.Sometimes we immediately recognize the people in the photos. Sometimes we laugh or cringe and say, “I looked like that”?
What might your life story to this point look like?
Changes are much more than hair styles or fashion trends…
There are compelling individual stories about life changes with the happy times and the hard times that we live day by day.
The stories we share about how God has been real to us, how God has spoken to us and called us to serve Him, draw us closer to God and to each other.
There is also the potential for us to be motivated to consider what else God wants to communicate with us as individuals or what new direction He might want us to be willing to take.
Samuel’s story represents a young boy who was already serving God.
His mother Hannah had been so eager for a son and when God answered her prayers, Hannah determined that she would give her son to the Lord for Samuel’s whole life. (I Samuel 1:27,28)
This is precisely why Samuel was there in the house of the Lord at Shiloh with the priest Eli when God called to him.
Samuel was probably about 12 years old, at this time.
At first Samuel did not recognize the voice of the Lord. He thought it must be Eli calling to him (vs. 4), but when he knew it was the Lord, he was open to the call, “Speak, your servant is listening.” (vs. 10)
Today as believers, we can continue to pray that God will lead and direct our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, to serve Him.
We can pray for them to hear God’s call on their lives and to be ready to obey.
So many of those who are serving God today had praying parents, praying family members, praying churches who supported and encouraged them.
I think of my own life journey-raised in a Christian home
-actively involved in church (parents teaching Sunday School and mother leading mission activities)
-positive experiences of youth group, camp, Vacation Bible School
-opportunities for leadership-Junior Choir, Sunday School teacher, camp counsellor, Youth Group leader…
-it was during my high school years that I felt a call from God toward pastoral ministry (followed by my training and all along the way continuing to need to listen for God’s voice and to discern God’s direction in my life)
It is in the supportive and accepting setting of a church home that individuals of all ages can learn to discern God’s voice and to be encouraged to be available for what God wants to do in them and through them!
This is crucial that our churches today be places where people are urged to listen for God and together to follow his leading-the potential is there for changed lives!!
This is God’s desire for all of us as expressed in Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-His good, pleasing, and perfect will.
What will it mean for you to listen to God?
What will it mean for me to listen to God?
We’ll look again at how Scripture describes for us the experience of Samuel and how Samuel learned to listen to the Lord.
Here I want us to hold on to the word PRAY, but in a way that I will explain as I go along…
P-Place Samuel was in a place where it would be possible to hear God-there in the House of the Lord it was quiet without distractions. Samuel was already serving God as he tended the lamp of the Lord (the golden lampstand that was not to be permitted to go out until the morning light came). We all need a place to meet with God. A place without distraction and a place where we will welcome and expect to meet with God. Church should be that kind of place for us but we will also want and need to have a place with God throughout the week. Everyday we will want to take time to, “Be still and know that (He) is God.” (Psalm 46:10)
It is in these moments that God can speak to us!
R-Recognize Notice here that when God first spoke to Samuel, Samuel didn`t know it was God talking. He hadn`t heard God`s voice before and he thought it must be Eli. Even Eli did not realize at first that it was God speaking. Finally, Eli recognizes that it must be God. Think about how we as believers can help each other to recognize that God is speaking and can encourage the right response!
Illustration of how hard it is to hear when a distance away (like in the back row). When we come closer, we can recognize what is being said and we can recognize who is saying it. We will need to come near to God so that we can recognize who is speaking and what is being said!
A-Accept When we recognize that it is God trying to get our attention, what next? This is essential to understand because God could reveal many important things to us but if we do not accept what He is showing us it is wasted, like water going down the drain. Imagine, being incredibly thirsty and going to the sink and turning on the tap and watching the water stream away down the drain-obviously, this would not quench our thirst! Only when we take a glass and accept the gift of the water and then put it to our mouths and drink will we be satisfied. Samuel`s acceptance is there when he says, “Speak, your servant is listening.” (vs. 10)
Y-Yield What happens when you`re driving and you come to a yield sign? It means that if there is another vehicle you need to yield to it, to stop and allow it to go first. This is so helpful to me when I think about my relationship with God. God is the one who should always go first or be first in my life. If I
insist on ignoring the yield sign and pull out and start driving on my own, how do I know where to go… I need to yield to Him and then I can follow with God leading the way!!
We,
like Samuel are challenged to follow this pattern of
P-R-A-Y
Place-be in a place without distraction where God`s voice can be heard!
Recognize-live near to God and know him better and better so we can recognize when it is God speaking!
Accept-It is a huge responsibility to have God speak to us and we will need to accept God`s direction if His will is to be done!
Yield-Will we be willing to yield to God and let Him be first to guide us where He wants us to go?
My prayer for us as individuals and for Springford Baptist Church is that we would say with Samuel, “SPEAK LORD, WE ARE LISTENING!”