Brother Gary Sunday Morning 5/22/16

1Sa 3:10  And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

I don’t have an exact age for Samuel when this account took place.  All of us remember God speaking to us. 

The Lord Came:  it is wonderful when Jesus comes.  God came strongly to me recently.  We always appreciate when God comes. 

He came, stood, and called, “Samuel…”  Samuel answered because he had been instructed to say, “Speak; for thy servant heareth you.”

When Samuel was a little boy, he was a miracle baby.  His mother and father vowed to give him back to the Lord.  At the appointed time they brought him back to the temple and he lived there and ministered before the Lord.

Samuel helped with the chores around the temple.  He had responsibilities to do.  It is important that children have responsibilities and learn to be responsible.

We love to encourage children.  I love to sing with children.  I like to take the hymnal and even if they cannot read I like them to follow along with me as we sing the songs.

You children are blessed to learn to sing these beautiful songs.  All of us are blessed to have these songs to sing.

The Word of the Lord was precious and there was no open vision.  There is a great famine of hearing the pure, undiluted Word of God again in the world today.  As in this day the Word was precious.  There was not much time given to the Word of God. 

Even above the name of God His Word is exalted.  John chapter 1 teaches us that Jesus is the Word of God.  It is vital that we have the Word of God spoken to us.  It is wonderful when God speaks His word to us.

There was no open vision:  I am on the ending of the journey.  People look at me and ask, “Have you retired?  Aren’t you going to start spending the money that you have saved?”  Our treasure is over in heaven.  I hope I can work until I preach my last message.  Then I just want to go into the presence of God. 

We need a vision that God is going to do wonderful things.  We are living in perilous times.  We need an open vision of what God wants us to do.  One soul is worth more than all the world. 

If we can help one soul, if we can encourage a child in BST or in VBS and help them to know the plan of salvation.  VBS is more than just getting children out of the home.  It is a way to instill the way to get right with God and stay right with God.

Eli’s sons had drifted away from God.  God was there.  Eli’s vision had faded, the lamp of God was about to go out.  The candle stick is important in studying the Word of God.  Revelations teaches us that Jesus was walking among the candlesticks.

The Word of GOD is a wonderful treasure, a book above all books.  It is vital that the reality of the triune God is alive and well.  Jesus is the light of the World.

We can take the word of God and it comes alive by the Spirit of God.  The lamp of God was about to go out.  Every one of us that has been taught knows how important it is that we keep oil in our lamps, keep our lamps trimmed and our lights shining bright.

Samuel lay down to sleep.  Have you wondered why God speaks to you, me, or someone else at a specific time?  “Why did God give me that scripture?” 

Sometimes you wake in the night and you hear God calling.  Sometimes without premeditation your mind goes to an existing condition in your life.  Sometimes your mind goes to whomever that it might be.

My dad was killed September 8, 1968.  In the process of time I got a letter from a lady that said, “I had no idea why I was praying for you September 8, 1968.  I just prayed, and prayed for you.”  God has a way of speaking to us and a way of speaking to others.

God spoke to Samuel as he was sleeping and called him by name. 

Is 43 I have called thee by thy name.

Isa 43:1  But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

It is marvelous that He knows us by our name.  We are not just, “Hey whatchamacallit.”

‘Samuel’ means asked of God.  Samuel heard his name called and he hastened to Eli.  “Eli, Here I am.”  Eli said, “I didn’t call.” 

He heard his name called again and again went to Eli.  Samuel didn’t know the voice of the Lord.

1Sa 3:7  Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.

1Sa 3:8  And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.

1Sa 3:9  Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

1Sa 3:10  And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

Sometimes God has to speak, speak, and then speak again.  It is not the thought of being rebellious.  We answer and do all He wants us to do.  We hear Him call again the next day and the next.  God spoke to Samuel again.  Eli perceived that God spoke to this child.

Eli told him, Go lie down.  If God calls thee, answer, “Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth.”

Samuel went and lay down.  The lord came and stood and called.  I can envision God standing by that little child.  He was about the age of some of the boys that are here.  God stood there and called Samuel. 

You say, “I would be afraid if God came and stood by my bed.”  You don’t need to be afraid of God.  You mothers, young married couples, you widows, and you that are concerned about your health.  For Sister Darla, she will say, “My forgetter is working way too good.”  God will come and stand by her bed. 

It is ok when God comes and stands by your bed and speaks to you.  He gives a burden, we carry it and bring it to God over and over again.  Then one day He comes back with a song. 

“Yes, Jesus took my burden I could no longer bear,
Jesus took my burden in answer to my prayer. 
My anxious fear subsided, my spirit was made strong,
When Jesus took my burden and left me with a song.”

God came and stood by Samuel.  You boys, God is going to come and stand by you.  That is how God is.  We wouldn’t leave the young ladies out. You are not left out.  You can count on God being there in preschool years, in grade school, and in high school; God will be there. 

When God speaks to any of us.  When He calls our name, our response should be, “Speak; for thy servant heareth.”

We are happy that children can minister before God.  Children have an active part in this congregation.  Children know how to minister to the Lord.  Parents teach them to pray and to sing.

There was a famine of the Word of God in Samuel’s day.  There was a lack of vision.  We live in a world where there are a lot of visuals.  There is computer technology… it is vital that you have a vision from the Word of God.

We must have a vision of where we came from.  I am so thankful that the scene changed from where I was and where I was headed. 

We also need a vision of what we have come to.  You got saved that is good.  You are seeking to be sanctified and filled with the Holy Spirit that is good.  We have come to the New Jerusalem. 

We need to know where we are headed.  We must have a vision of that which God wants us to do.

God was concerned about the conditions.  God is concerned about spiritual conditions today.  You might feel limited.  But God has a job.  You may not be able to leave your house or your chair but God has a work for you to do.

God was preparing a man.  God in the past has prepared men to be mightily used of God.  It is men and women that will choose to walk humbly with God that will choose to love God more than everything that is in the world: the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life.

The world has always been the world.  God was preparing a man to be used of God.  The eternal God speaks to children.  The eternal God speaks to all.

Samuel lacked understanding.  We are not critical of that.  I have been saved a while and I am thankful for that.  What I understand today I didn’t understand my first week, my first month, or my first year of walking with God.  God leads His dear children along.

God knows how to lead you from where you are to the next step.  He is a marvelous teacher of what we need to know. 

We are looking forward to seeing that new little baby and giving her a bible and singing the song, “How sweet to hold that new born baby…”

God was preparing a man.  God today is preparing boys, girls, men and women.  He speaks to all.  Samuel lacked understanding but God had a plan for spiritual understanding.

I don’t understand all the bible but what light is shown on my pathway I enjoy walking in.  There are things about the Revelations that I don’t understand.  In the times that we live, there are things that I don’t even try to keep up with. 

What we do understand is what we are accountable to God for. 

God moved upon Eli to perceive that God was speaking.  Sometimes someone speaks to us and we are not as quick as we wish we were in knowing what to say.  Sometimes we know what to say and sometimes later we know more what to say. 

It is vital that we keep an open door between us and the Spirit of God to know what to say.  Then in humility, be able to go back and say, “There is more that I would like to say.”

God came and called, “Samuel, Samuel.”  I have no question that God will speak to everyone here again.  God may speak to you this morning.  He may speak to you this week.  After God spoke, Samuel answered, “Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth.”

God loves to talk to children.  He loves to have children serving Him.  He will speak to children.  May each one of us be in our place to instruct.  Eli’s sons were poor examples.  God has left us excellent examples in the Word of God. 

Hebrews 11: Pray that I will be tenderhearted toward souls.  If I am not, then some will be lost. 

Times were difficult but God had a strategy and a plan.  He spoke to Moses.  He spoke to Abraham.  We have excellent examples of Him speaking to people.

God has left us with excellent examples in our own lives.  Sister Peters was a mother of a son that graduated in 1966.  He went into the marines and went to Vietnam.  He came home with ¼ of his head shot off.  Sister Peters fasted for her boy all the time that he was in the service. 

She got the word that he was in the naval hospital in San Diego.  She took a bus, got there, and visited with the surgeon.  He told her, “There is no hope.  Even if he lives he will be a vegetable.”  She said, “Surgeon, Johnny has to live.  He is not saved.  I have prayed and prayed.” 

The surgeon told her, “We are going to put the largest plate in a head that we have ever put in.  If he lives he will be a vegetable, but I appreciate your faith.” 

Johnny lived.  One day Johnny told her, “I am going to check out.”  At a revival meeting in Espanola they sang the hymn, “Lord I am coming home.”  Johnny stood up, went to the front pew and though he could not bow, he sat on the pew and got saved. 

I don’t know how much time passed but he said, “I want to go to camp-meeting.”  God is a God of miracles.  You may need a miracle.  He is still a God of miracles.

To all: when He speaks may we say, “Speak for thy servant hears.”

We are blessed when God comes into our congregation and calls our name.  There is one that is greater than Solomon here.  May we be challenged and convicted.  It is time to hear and obey the Word of God.