I. Intro:
1. Greeting
2. The Last 3 Weeks Theme of Examples
3. What is it like to be Called?
A. Is being called the same thing as your mom or dad calling you home for dinner when you were kids?
B. What is it like to be called?
i. What do you have to do? Do you have to do anything?
ii. Do you know what it would sound like?
iii. Do you know what you would say?
iv. What would you do?
4. Today we’ll be looking at 1Samuel 3:1-10 and the things that surrounded Samuel’s call to serve the Lord.
A. We’ll look at his Training
B. We’ll look at him Willing
C. And we’ll look at how he was Listening
II. Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1-10
III. Open in Prayer
IV. Point 1: Training
1. Text:
1The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. 2One night Eli whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3The 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.
2. Context:
A. Samuel had been given to the temple by his mother while he was very young.
B. Eli because of his sons was cursed by God along with all his sons.
C. Samuel was being trained up under Eli.
D. Clarification: You don’t have to believe to be getting trained in ministry!
E. This time in
i. Just because you can’t see God working in major ways doesn’t mean He’s not at work. He works in everything.
F. You’re always training whether you are aware of it or not.
3. Illustration:
A. Everything in my life has been training for where I’m at and where I’ll be in the future. Everything I am doing now is training me for
4. Application
A. God trained us our entire lives to be where we are now. The difference between us and unbelievers is that we are supposed to be active participants in our training!
V. Point 2: Willing
1. Text:
4Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5And 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. 6Again 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.” 7Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8The Lord called Samuel a third time, 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.
2. Context:
A. Samuel and Eli were sleeping when God first called Samuel’s name.
B. Samuel was completely willing to serve the one who was calling him. He even got up three times in the middle of the night to do it! He just thought it was Eli calling.
C. He had no idea it was God calling him.
D. It took three times for God to call Samuel before Eli even realized it was God calling Samuel.
3. Illustration:
A. As I mentioned earlier, in my personal life God has been continuously preparing me for where I’m at now. He’s trained me with the knowledge and wisdom to understand His word. He’s given me the desire to have a closer stronger relationship with Him.
B. He’s also been calling me over and over again into serving in Missions! He called me the first time in Junior High. I didn’t answer. Then, He called me again in my Junior year of high school. Then He called me to serve numerous times while I was at
4. Application:
A. How many times in our lives have we done something or gone through something that only by looking back later could we see it was God working in and through us?
B. Samuel was blindly willing. He had been trained to serve God and all of
C. We need to be willing to answer God’s call but we don’t have to blind about what God is doing. If we are properly trained, we won’t just be indirectly willing to serve God but intentional about serving God.
VI. Point 3: Listening
1. Text:
9So 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. 10The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
2. `Context:
A. Eli had finally realized what was going on. He saw that the Lord was calling Samuel and told him how to act.
B. Eli instructed Samuel how to respond to God.
C. Finally Samuel got to hear the voice of God and learn who was really calling him.
3. Illustration:
A. How many of us have been able to have the blessing of a spiritual mentor?
B. I’ve been blessed to have several of them. The most significant two have been my father and David Sanchez. They have shown me and taught me how to listen for God’s direction just like Eli taught Samuel.
C. It’s important to learn what it means to really be listening to God. It doesn’t just mean listening and nodding your head every now and then with a few single word phrases to make it seem like you’re paying attention!
D. Listening to God means having your heart lined up with what God is doing. It’s not just hearing. Spiritual listening is really extreme paying attention.
4. Application:
A. We need to be listening. We should consciously make the decision to listen for God’s voice. If we are already believers, we can and should ask God to open our eyes and ears to see and hear what He’s doing so that we can actively participate.
VII. Conclusion:
Samuel at this point in his life wasn’t an intentional participant in what God was doing. He was participating by default. The difference we have is the option to be active and intentional participants in God’s work on earth.
1. Training: We need to be actively and intentionally training ourselves…
2. Willing: We need to be constantly willing to serve God…
3. Listening: We need to be aware of God’s directions and be carefully listening for his voice and direction…
VIII. Close in Prayer
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