Samuel Answers God’s Call

1 Samuel 3:1-21

One of the mysteries of the Christian life is the attempt to detect God’s call for our lives. It seems some are called to specific tasks while others are called to serve in very ordinary ways. Some hear the calling clearly and others seem to never find theirs. In the account of Samuel there are some principles that can be learned about God’s calling in the lives of his people.

I. God sometimes calls people who are very

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.

A. Samuel provides the example that many spiritual leaders are raised in the

.

B. There are

and disadvantages of that, but the positives outweigh the negatives.

1. God’s Word is

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   in your heart.

2. You are

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   the consequences of some of the nastier and more disfiguring sins.

3. You feel comfortable in church and in spiritual surroundings.

4. You have some exposure to

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   of the faith.

5. Your

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   of becoming a Christian are greatly
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   .

C. There are a couple of

to growing up in church.

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   may breed complacency.

2. You can feel

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   for missing certain experiences.

3. Some will grow up to feel

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   around non-Christians.

4. You will discover spiritual leaders are all

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   .

5. If we are not careful, we can develop a

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   mindset.

II. God sometimes calls in

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ways.

A. Most of the time God’s call is not

.

B. God calls most of us through

circumstances or

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encounters with people.

C. “If God doesn’t call me dramatically, how can I

he’s calling me?”

1. God promises if we walk in
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   and trust him, he will make his
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   clear.

III. God sometimes calls us to a

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task.

A. God gave Samuel a very difficult

.

B. We have been

by Christ to go into our world and share the

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.

1. We warn people of judgment, not just for

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   benefit, but for
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   .

2. God promises us if we will proclaim his truth

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   and clearly, he will
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   it.