Samuel 3

Do you Hear Samuel 3

• Sometimes...God speaks in an audible voice

• I used to describe the Holy Spirits voice as a Loud screaming evangelist...and sometimes it still it...
• We know God’s voice is sometimes still and small as it was when Elijah was on the Mountain
• God has spoken throughout history...
• God speaks now...Amen?
• How? And when God does...do we hear?
• Do you EXPECT God to speak to you? Or would it be a shock? Would you be caught unaware...would you recognize the voice of God?

1 Samuel 3 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.

• Samuel and Eli
• Samuel had 2 of his own sons...they were corrupted
• 1 Samuel 2 “Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord. 17 ...This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they[b] were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt...21 And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord. 22 Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting...24 his sons...did not listen to their father’s rebuke”
• So their sins were abundant... both against people and against God
• Using women – sinning against people
• Stealing God’s offering – sinning against GOD
• Eli tried to reason with them but they ignored him
• God was NOT personal to them
• After they had grown and were serving as priests themselves Eli was given another child – Sanuel “God hears”
• Perhaps Eli had learned bitter lessons from the mistakes that he had made with his during their youth and was more mindful in his parenting of Samuel.
• Even in their service as priests Hophni and Phinehas were in the lost generation...

“Parents cannot do God’s work, but God will not do theirs.” [Clarke Scripture Press, p. 19].

-In our day, we should not pity the children who do not have the very latest toys and gimmicks, but rather pity the children whose parents do not have time to be parents, to teach them by their words and their walk and to express to them in many ways how much they love them.

-Parents that are too tired or too busy to spend time with their children will miss wonderful opportunities to guide their children.

• Samuel is referred to as just a “boy” in the original Hebrew (naar) is a term that is flexible enough to refer to someone between the infant stage and that of a young man.
• I believe that Samuel was either in his pre-teen or early teen years, perhaps twelve or thirteen years of age.
• Samuel had been with Eli since around he was a toddler or younger
• He watched Eli and modeled correct relationship with the LORD...Samuel’s relationship with GOD WAS PERSONAL
• God Speaks to Samuel
• Not once, or twice, but three times before anyone caught onto what was happening
• Even in serving God though...Samuel did not know God to speak personally
• Eli as well in all his years of experience too awhile to recognize it was God speaking to Samuel
• Why? Because visions were rare...or perhaps listening to GOD was rare

Is hearing God’s voice rare in this church?

-Do we listen when God speaks?

-How does God speak...through preaching, sure maybe, that is always my desire

-God also speaks through our CHILDREN, Levi has spoken through the Spirit many times that I have seen...have you heard him?

-Though mid week study on Thursdays, book study has been so incredible to see how God moves and directs people into new insights and brings growth

-Discipleship groups in the morning

-Prayer

-Bible reading

-Testimonies

-Do we allow this to happen in our own lives? When God speaks to we share? DO we LISTEN?

LISTEN and HEAR...what's the difference? When you LISTEN you do something about it

1 Samuel 3 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.” 11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God,[a] and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’” 15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.” Samuel answered, “Here I am.”

• God's message is HEARD
• Imagine this 4th time Samuel trying to go to bed...but now he is excited, anxious...
• Will God speak again? Was it three times I’m out? Why didn’t I recognize God’s voice?
• Why would God speak to me...I’m a kid
• What will God say
• And what God says...is hard to hear
• I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.
• Did you catch that...I TOLD HIM
• God spoke this to ELI!
• WHAT?
• So Samuel was the second...maybe even third recipient of this message (if the sons themselves were told it as well)
• God spoke it...Eli heard it...but Eli did not LISTEN
• Samuel this young kid now gets this HUGE message that Eli’s household is going to receive a punishment from God for their sin...
• And understandably he gets no rest that night...
• In the morning Eli asks what God said...Samuel KNOWS he needs to speak the message from God to Eli, but it is HARD

When we heard God’s voice do with LISTEN?

-DO we do anything with the word we hear from God

-Does it change anything about our thoughts our lives?

-When you feel God urging you to speak...do you?

-When you feel God telling you to give...do you?

-Sure maybe you hear...but do you listen?

1 Samuel 3 17 “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”

• Samuel “the lord hears” HEARD the LORD
• LISTENED TO THE LORD
• Spoke what the LORD said for him to speak...

Conclusion:

• DO you HEAR?
• If no...what is preventing you? Hidden sin? Lack of Salvation? Never tried to hear?

Basic prayer exercise...Pray a question you know the answer to “God do you love me” Listen for the YES...what does it sound like, feel like...get familiar with that voice

• If yes...are you listening? Are you ACTING ON what God is speaking to you?
• It is hard sometimes YES
• It might feel embarrassing even YES
• Might not feel qualified YES
• But to refuse to listen...is to stop God’s voice from reaching others!