David | Week 2
July 9, 2023

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July 9 | Pastor Jason

1 Samuel 3:1-3
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 house of the LORD, where the ark of God was.

  • If you want to hear from God, you’ve got to get in His presence.

  • The word of the Lord doesn’t have to be rare for you, open up your bible and hear God speak.

1 Samuel 3:4-7
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.

  • Samuel didn’t know how to hear and process God’s voice and calling.

1 Samuel 3:8-9
8A 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. 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.

  • There is a generation that God is calling, and they don’t know exactly how to process His voice.

  • They need help connecting the voice of God to the call of God.

  • God uses the generations to work together.

  • Young Samuels don’t always recognize when God is speaking.

  • When God calls that Samuel generation, don’t meet it with criticism or skepticism. Meet them with an embrace that says, God is raising up a generation to do His work.

1 Samuel 3:10-18
10The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

11And 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. 12At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13For 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. 14Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’ ”

15Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision,16but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”

Samuel answered, “Here I am.”

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.” 18So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes.”

  • Every word from the Lord isn’t easy to hear or to speak.

  • The truth of Scripture is often unpopular.

  • Don’t confuse unclear and unpopular. Sometimes the ambiguity isn’t in the Bible, it’s in your life.

  • Samuel put himself in a place to hear hard truth.

  • Silence about sin leads to a loss of the presence of God.

  • He prioritized family unity over temple integrity.

  • When it comes to serving God, you can’t highlight talent or gifts, or experience or even relationships over integrity.

  • God uses surrender vessels not gifted ones.

  • Samuel said yes before God even asked the question.

  • God is looking for people to say yes before the question is even asked.