hearing the call of god

1 SAMUEL

3:1-20

Hearing the Call of God

HearingtheCall

of God

Some people hear only what they want to hear.

HearingtheCall

of God

When it comes to Scripture, many only hear what they want to hear.

HearingtheCall

of God

Paul told Timothy to preach the Word, for “the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Tm 4:3-4, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

Paul told Timothy to preach the Word, for “the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Tm 4:3-4, ESV).

“Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”(1 Pt 3:21, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

Martin Luther’s preface to James: “Therefore I will not have him in my Bible to be numbered among the true chief books.”

HearingtheCall

of God

Tonight’s passage is about hearing God.

HearingtheCall

of God

“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.

HearingtheCall

of God

“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 young man. 9 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.

HearingtheCall

of God

“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.’

HearingtheCall

of God

“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.’

HearingtheCall

of God

“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” (1 Sm 3:4-20, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

Throughout this passage, God is calling Samuel to service.

HearingtheCall

of God

This was in an era where God spoke directly to the prophets.

HearingtheCall

of God

God no longer does so.

HearingtheCall

of God

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Heb 1:1-2, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Heb 1:1-2, ESV).

Samuel, as a prophet of God (1 Sm 3:20), receives direct communication from God.

HearingtheCall

of God

God continues to call people.

HearingtheCall

of God

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Eph 4:1, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

God “saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace” (2 Tm 1:9, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

Like the call to Samuel, God’s call today continues to be verbal (in word form).

HearingtheCall

of God

“To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess 2:14, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

“To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess 2:14, ESV).

God called Samuel through a spoken word; he calls us through the written word.

HearingtheCall

of God

Tonight, we want to learn about hearing God.

HearingtheCall

of God

VV 4-9

The Call of God is Often MISUNDERSTOOD.

HearingtheCall

of God

“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 young man. 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” (vv 4-9, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

The Lord calls Samuel 3 times.

HearingtheCall

of God

However, Samuel gets up & runs to Eli.

HearingtheCall

of God

Samuel mistakes the voice of God for the voice of Eli.

HearingtheCall

of God

HearingtheCall

of God

“Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him” (v 7, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

Samuel did not yet know the Lord.

HearingtheCall

of God

Hebrew term means to distinguish, to perceive.

HearingtheCall

of God

Hebrew term means to distinguish, to perceive.

The Lord had not yet revealed himself in a special way to Samuel.

HearingtheCall

of God

The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to Samuel.

HearingtheCall

of God

The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to Samuel. God had not yet spoken directly to Samuel.

HearingtheCall

of God

I wonder if part of it isn’t the influence of Eli.

HearingtheCall

of God

“I declare to [Eli] 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” (vv 13-14, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

Eli failed miserably with Hophni & Phinehas.

HearingtheCall

of God

Eli failed miserably with Hophni & Phinehas. I seriously doubt he failed much better with Samuel.

HearingtheCall

of God

So many today misunderstand God’s call.

HearingtheCall

of God

Why do so many misunderstand God’s call?

HearingtheCall

of God

IS IT NOT BECAUSE THEY MISUNDERSTAND THE

SCRIPTURES?

Why do so many misunderstand God’s call?

HearingtheCall

of God

The Scriptures are not always easily understood.

HearingtheCall

of God

“Count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction” (2 Pt 3:15-16, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

“Count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction” (2 Pt 3:15-16, ESV).

“How can I?” (Acts 8:31, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

VV 8-9

Guidance is often needed to understand God’s call.

HearingtheCall

of God

“Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the young man. 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” (vv 8-9, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

There are many who need help understanding God’s call.

HearingtheCall

of God

The Ethiopian eunuch: “How can I, unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:31, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

The Ethiopian eunuch: “How can I, unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:31, ESV).

When the people recommitted to the Law, Nehemiah lists several names who “helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading” (Neh 8:7-8, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

There are two things we need to understand.

HearingtheCall

of God

There is no shame in asking for guidance.

HearingtheCall

of God

What if the eunuch had been too ashamed to ask Philip for help?

HearingtheCall

of God

Are we too ashamed to ask for help?

HearingtheCall

of God

We also need to be those who are willing to help others understand the Scriptures.

HearingtheCall

of God

Philip willingly taught the eunuch.

HearingtheCall

of God

In order to help others, we must study.

HearingtheCall

of God

In order to help others, we must study. “Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need

someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food” (Heb 5:12, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

In order to help others, we must study. “Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need

someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food” (Heb 5:12, ESV).

Are we helping others understand the Scriptures.

HearingtheCall

of God

VV 11-15

The Call of God is often Difficult

HearingtheCall

of God

“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” (vv 11-15, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

The Lord did not give Samuel an easy word to swallow.

HearingtheCall

of God

The word was that God was about to judge Eli’s house & that their sin could not be atoned for.

HearingtheCall

of God

The word was so difficult that Samuel had difficulty sleeping.

HearingtheCall

of God

The word was so difficult that Samuel had difficulty sleeping.

Samuel had difficulty sleeping, for he “was afraid to tell the vision to Eli.”

HearingtheCall

of God

God’s words are often difficult to hear.

HearingtheCall

of God

When the Jews heard the preaching of Peter at Pentecost, “they were cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

“The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb 4:12, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

“The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb 4:12, ESV).

Mark Twain supposedly said, “It’s not the parts of the Bible I don’t understand that bother me; it’s the parts I do understand.”

HearingtheCall

of God

The difficulty of the call does not invalidate the call.

HearingtheCall

of God

Just because God’s words are difficult doesn’t mean we don’t need to obey.

HearingtheCall

of God

Although Samuel was afraid, he told Eli the vision.

HearingtheCall

of God

God intended Samuel to tell Eli the vision.

HearingtheCall

of God

God intended Samuel to tell Eli the vision. “I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever,

for the iniquity that he know, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them” (v 13, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

“He who brought the news answered and said, ‘Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.’ As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years” (1 Sm 4:17-18, ESV).

HearingtheCall

of God

Even the most difficult words of God are intended

to be kept.

HearingtheCall

of God

Are we seeking to follow even God’s difficult words?

HearingtheCall

of God

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