1 Samuel 3. Let's read the first
10 verses. 1 Samuel 3. And the child Samuel
ministered unto the Lord before Eli, And the word of the Lord
was precious in those days. There was no open vision. And
it came to pass at that time when Eli was laid down in his
place, and his eyes began to wax dim that he could not see,
and ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord,
where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep,
that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli and said,
Here am I, for thou call'st me. And he said, I called not. Lie
down again. And he went and lay down. And
the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to
Eli and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me. And he answered,
I called not, my son. Lie down again. Now Samuel did
not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet
revealed unto him. 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. 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, and the Lord came and stood and called, as
at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak,
for thy servant heareth." Our subject today is the call. We're
going to look at Samuel's call. Verse 1 says, The child Samuel
ministered unto the Lord before Eli, and the word of the Lord
was precious in those days. There was no open vision. The
word of the Lord was precious. How precious it is, it is so
precious. It's precious in the sense that
it's very rare. It's extremely rare. Amos 8, just listen to this,
verse 11, we know this, it says, Behold, the days come, saith
the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine
of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the
Lord. The words of the Lord. If we
hear the words of the Lord, that's a precious thing. That's extremely
precious. So few Bibles actually have the
words of the Lord and many more. A version of a version of a it's
not actually the Lord's words. We talk about an assembly that
meets in truth, this is a true place of worship. Or a false
place of worship, what's the difference? The word of God,
that's the difference. Is precious. Is precious because
it's so rare and it's precious because in the word are hid all
the secrets of God. All the secrets of God. He's
put them all in his word. Turn over to Romans chapter 16. Romans chapter 16. Look at verse
25. It says now to him that is of
power to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching
of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery.
Which was kept secret. Since the world began. But now
is made manifest. And by the scriptures of the
prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God made known
to all nations for the obedience of faith. This used to be a secret, it's
been a secret, a mystery from the beginning of time. But now
through these scriptures, through this word, it's been revealed. This word is a precious thing.
Precious thing, it says to the obedience of faith. Faith comes
by hearing this word. That's how it comes. Saving faith
comes by hearing this word and it's precious. It says in our
text, verse one, the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before
Eli. Hannah, Samuel's mother, prayed
to the Lord for Samuel and he gave her Samuel. And then she
committed him unto the service of the Lord. When he was a very
young child. She committed him to the service
of the Lord, he literally grew up in church. From a little child. He lived there, ate there, slept
there, he grew up in church in the temple. That is a wonderful
thing. That's wonderful. His mother
put him there, and we're about to see how the Lord blessed that.
He blessed it so much. We need to be in the house of
the Lord. We need to be here. If our children have any hope
of salvation, they have to be in the house of the Lord. Committed
unto His ministering service. But just because a person, even
a young person, is active in the church. That does not mean
they are a believer, nor does it mean the Lord saved them. Chapter 2, verse 18 says, Samuel
ministered before the Lord, being a child girded with the linen
ephod. Moreover, his mother made him
a little coat and brought it to him from year to year when
she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife and said, The Lord, give
the seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the Lord.
And they went unto their own home and the Lord visited Hannah
so that she conceived and bear three sons and two daughters.
And the child Samuel grew up before the Lord. In chapter 3,
verse 1 says, the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before
Eli. But look at verse 7. It says,
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord. He'd been in church all his life. But he did not yet know the Lord.
You know, a person can say, I've been in church all my life. That
pew is conformed to my body. I've been sitting there all my
life. I've been a part of every ministry here. I head up the
men's ministry and I head up the women's ministry. I've been
a deacon in that church for 37 years. Can a man be a pastor
in a church all his life and not yet know the Lord? He said, well, one to the pastors
didn't. Verse seven says Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither
was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. The word was precious in those
days. Verse one says the word was precious
in those days, I believe Samuel took this seriously. I believe
Eli taught him well. I believe Samuel knew the word
was precious. I believe Samuel read the word. I don't know how old he was,
but I believe he read the word. I believe he knew the laws. Our
little girls are studying the Ten Commandments downstairs this
morning. I believe he knew the laws. I believe he knew the doctrines. The rights and the wrongs and
the good and the bad, but it says that the word of the Lord
had not yet been revealed to him. A person can read this Bible
cover to cover. How many people have said, I've
read the Bible cover to cover. And if the Lord does not reveal
the truth to unlock that mystery, all they're going to see is morality,
the good and the bad, the rights and the wrongs, the do's and
the don'ts. Morality. But if the Lord Jesus Christ
ever reveals the mystery, the mystery that's been kept secret
from the foundation of the world, if He unlocks that mystery, a
person can read this Bible from cover to cover and all they will
see is Him. That's all they'll see. Verse
one says the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli and
the word of the Lord was precious in those days. There was no open
vision and it came to pass at that time when Eli was laid down
in his place and his eyes began to wax dim that he could not
see and before the lamp of God went out in the temple of the
Lord where the ark of God was and Samuel was laid down to sleep. Hannah put Samuel where the ark
of God was. Hannah put Samuel where the ark
of God was. She didn't just put him in church.
She put him where the ark of God was. That ark is Jesus Christ. She
put him in the place where Jesus Christ's name was. Where his
word was all. And the Lord bless that. It says
in verse two, it came to pass at that time when Eli was laid
down in his place and his eyes began to wax dim that he could
not see and ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the
Lord where the ark of God was and Samuel was laid down to sleep
that the Lord called Samuel. He called him. Mercy has just come to Samuel.
He's been in church all his life. And he's been running around
doing all these things, a busy body, all his life. And mercy
has just come to him. Grace has just been given to
Samuel. Righteousness and peace have just kissed Samuel. And
he's about to be notified of this. The Lord called Samuel. This call is issued to every
single one of God's people. Every single person whom the
Lord saves is going to be issued a call. Turn over to Romans,
chapter one. Romans, chapter one, verse one
says, Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, he said, I was called
to be an apostle. I was called. This is a calling. It's not a decision. It's a calling. Look at verse six, among whom
are you also the called of Jesus Christ? Who I'm talking to, all
of you, are the called of Jesus Christ. Verse 7, To all that
be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints. Called. Go to Romans 8. Verse 29 says, Whom he did foreknow
from the foundation of the world, He also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn
among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate,
all of them he called. And whom he called, he justified
all of them and whom he justified, he glorified all of them. Romans 9 verse 23 says that he
might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy,
which he had a for prepared unto glory, even us whom he had called. One more first Corinthians chapter
one. First Corinthians one verse 26
says. For you see your calling, brethren,
How that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty and
not many noble are called. You see us look around, you see
us, we see each other. You see the calling, don't you?
Not many wise. Not many mighty, not many noble.
Salvation is of the Lord. It's his choice whom he calls. Well, back in our text, the Lord
chose to call Samuel. And for a person who is confident,
absolutely confident, that the Lord has never called them, some
people can be truly confident, I've never been called. I've
never been called. I've never heard anything. I've never gotten
a call. Some people are not sure. I'm
not sure. Maybe. I don't know. I want to
look at three questions. The first one is, is this call
real? Is it a real call? Does the Lord
really call His people or not? And the second one is, how will
I know if the Lord is calling me? And what is the call unto? We're called unto something.
The first one is, is this call real? Verse 1 says, there was
no open vision. No open vision. There have been
times when the Lord has visually or audibly or both revealed
Himself. This was not one of those times.
This time was just like today. There's no open vision. And it says in verse four. The
Lord called Samuel. And he answered. He said, here am I. Something has to seem pretty
real to you for you to speak out loud and say, I'm in here. The Lord called him and he answered.
In verse five says he ran unto Eli and said, Here am I for thou
called me and he said, I called not lie down again and he went
and laid down. Eli didn't hear anything. Was
it real? We just read where the Apostle
Paul said, I was called to be an apostle. And we know his story,
when the Lord called Paul, it was so loud and it was so real,
it physically knocked him off of his horse. Ask the Apostle Paul if it's
real. But do you know all those men that were with him, all those
men around him, they heard something, they said it thundered, but they
did not hear him. They did not hear his voice. This call is particular. One person at a time. It is not a general call. Every person whom he calls is
going to tell you it's real. I can't explain it. I cannot
explain it. What was your experience? Well,
I don't have one. But Paul said, I know whom I
believe. I know, Peter said, this is not
a cunningly devised fable. The second question is, how will
I know if the Lord is calling me? Well, first, this call normally
takes place over a period of time. We're not waiting for an experience.
It's not an experience. Well, that was his experience.
That was Paul's experience. I'm still waiting on my experience.
We don't look to an experience. It is something that is experienced.
But the Lord calls over a period of time, verse four says. The
Lord called Samuel, and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli
and said, Here am I, for thou calledst me. And he said, I called
not, lie down again. And he went and laid down, and
the Lord called yet again. I immediately thought, Great
is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. He called, Samuel went running
somewhere, and then he went back and laid down, and the Lord called
yet again. Samuel didn't want a big experience
that he knew was happening right then and there. Verse six, the Lord called yet
again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to
Eli and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me. And he answered,
I called not my son, lie thou again. Now Samuel did not yet
know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed
unto him. 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. He called him, and he called
him again. And he called him again. This
is something that happens over time. Now each time Samuel heard something,
and he went running and Eli said, I didn't call you, go lay down.
And you know Samuel is scratching his head going back to his bed
thinking, I know I heard something. Am I hearing things? What am I hearing? I'm hearing
something. It says all of this was happening
before the lamp of God went out in the temple, I believe he was
probably reading the word in his bed, I don't know that. But
I know the Lord speaks through his word. Over time, a person is going
to start searching the scriptures to see if these things be so
I'm starting to hear something. And I want to see if these things
be so. All of this running, he's doing every time the Lord called,
Samuel went running. He's running here and he's running
there. He's looking for the answer and
he's not going to find it, not like that. Samuel kept running
to Eli, Eli's not the one that called him. We don't go to a
man. We don't look to a man. The Lord
is going to use a man. He's going to use a preacher.
But a man in and of himself, he doesn't have the answers.
Well, through all this running, the Lord calls Samuel and he
goes running through all this running and searching, he's not
finding the answers, he's not finding relief, he's not finding
rest. He feels this burden growing
stronger and stronger. I'm hearing something. The Lord
is going to hem a person up. They've run everywhere they know
to run. They've gone to everybody they know to go to. No, that
ain't the answer. No, he didn't call me. He's going
to hem a person up. He's going to get him to a place.
So he really doesn't know where to turn or what to do. I've exhausted
all my options. He's going to make that man lost. And then the Lord is going to
open his ear. He's going to open his ear to
hear a preacher preach this precious word. The end of verse 8 says, Eli
perceived that the Lord had called the child. Therefore, Eli said
unto Samuel, go lie down. Quit running. Go lie down. Stop running here. Stop running
there. Stop searching every wind of
doctrine that comes along. You're looking in the wrong place.
You're seeking the wrong thing. Go lie down. Just go lie down. Verse nine says. And it shall
be if he called thee. If He call thee, salvation is
of the Lord, it is His call. And if He call thee, if you ever hear the Lord's voice
through His Word, He said, My sheep shall be. My sheep are
going to hear My voice and they're going to know Me. And if He call
thee, if you ever hear the Lord's voice through His Word, This
is how you'll know you've been called. This is how you'll know. Verse 9 says, Thou shalt say. This will be your response. These
words will come out of your mouth. Speak to me, Lord, for Thy servant... That's how you'll know that this
hard heart has been broken. This arrogant pride has been
put down. What are we called unto? The
first thing is silence. You speak and I'll just listen. We're called to subjection. You're
my Lord and I'm your subject. We're called to service. Speak,
Lord, for Thy servant heareth. Your wish is my command." What is the call unto? The end
of verse 9 says, Samuel went and lay down in his place. We're
called to obedience. This is not a call to action.
It's not a call to arms. This is a notification that your
warfare has been accomplished. That's the call. This is a call
to spiritual peace, stop running. Spiritual rest. Live, Lazarus,
come forth, spiritual life. Verse 9 says, Eli said unto Samuel,
go lie down and it shall be if he called thee that thou shalt
say, speak, Lord, for thy servant here. So Samuel went and lay
down in his place and the Lord came. The Lord came. This call is to an audience with
him. This call is to an acquaintanceship
with Him. This is an introduction to a
relationship with Him. Verse 10 says, And the Lord came
and stood and called, as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak to
me, Lord. Please just speak to me. I want the Lord to call somebody.
And I want it to be me. I want the Lord to call me again.
And again and again. Just speak to me, Lord. Just
call me. He said, ask and you'll receive.
Speak to me, Lord. I serve in hearing. Bless us,
Lord. Well, may the Lord bless this
Word.