Listen!

“Listen!”


Brimfield Faith UMC / March 4, 2012

1 Samuel 3:1-11



HEARING FROM GOD

I want to thank Michelle for preaching the first sermon in this series. I planned this series about hearing God’s voice months ago. In the life of a Christian it is one of the most important gifts that we can develop. God’s voice guides us, encourages us, builds us up, comforts us and communicates the heart of God to us. Over the past five years, I have seen this church and many people hear God’s voice. It has been the voice of Heaven that has brought this church out of the pits of despair into a future with hope in God. It has changed lives and touched a community. God is speaking because you are listening.

I would like to address the announcement of my move this coming June. Every September I have to turn in a form called the Clergy Profile – Annual (CPA). In this form I answer questions about the joys and challenges of ministry over the past year. This year’s form was filled with many of both. The journey that God took us on with our son Jude was a difficult and painful one. We saw a church pull together in our time of crisis. You have lovingly and generously supported my family over the past year and a half of grief and healing. You have walked by our side and I thank you for that. This is one of the reasons why the decision we made was a difficult one.

The last question on the CPA asks whether we would request to move, stay, or either. This year I requested that the Bishop and Cabinet consider moving me. I did not check the box without significant prayer, discussion, and counsel. As I seek to live my life with my ear tilted towards Heaven and listening for God’s voice, the decision came down to this: We felt that for the healing process of our family to continue we needed a change of scenery. We need a fresh start.

In sharing this, I hope to make this clear: the conference is not stealing me away. This was first and foremost my decision. A decision that in due time I hope you will come to understand and support us in. We still love this church and this community. I cannot express in words how grateful I am for the ways that you have walked with us.



LEARNING FROM SAMUEL

With that said, I would like to briefly look at 1 Samuel 3:1-11 and place it in the context of our church and your lives. A bit of the back story is that Samuel is the son of Hannah. When Hannah becomes pregnant with Samuel, she resolves to dedicate him to the service of the Lord. In 1 Samuel 3, we see Samuel serving the priest, Eli. Verse 3 says, he is sleeping in the Temple of the Lord, where the Ark of God was. In this place, Samuel hears the voice of God. He is confused by the voice and is unclear where it is coming from. He runs to Eli three times and on the third time Eli realizes that Samuel is hearing the voice of God. He counsels Samuel to listen again for the Lord and if he calls say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” When Samuel goes and lays back down and God calls to Samuel again. There are two things I want us to learn from Samuel’s story this morning.



#1. God’s voice is no longer rare.

Verse 1 explains why Samuel and Eli are both surprised and confused by the voice of God. The voice of God was rare in those days. God breaks this time of silence because He is preparing Israel to come through a difficult time in their nation. God calls Samuel out to be a great prophet in a great time of need. Samuel becomes the prophetic voice of God that Israel needed to be able to come through this time.

There was a time in this church where the prophetic voice of God was missing. This time is no more. God is speaking and people are listening. The Lord’s voice has brought us through some difficult times and has brought renewal into the life of the church. The prophetic voice will lead you into a powerful future. God has not abandoned you. God will not abandon you. The conference is not going to abandoned Brimfield. We have come too far. They will do their best to bring in a pastor that will lead you forward. Tour responsibility is to seek the Lord in prayer and listen for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Even you can hear God’s voice. You also need to hear God’s voice in your own life as well. John 10:3 says “the sheep know the shepherd’s voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” When we hear the voice of God and follow God, we will not be led astray. We will not be abandoned. God’s voice will guide us into a place of abundance, love and generosity.



#2. God speaks to people who serve in His Presence.

It is no coincidence that Samuel is in the Temple and near the Ark when God calls out to him. Samuel has chosen to be a servant to the Lord. He humbly served the Temple and Eli the priest. He embraced a lifestyle of servanthood to the Lord. It is out of this place of service that Samuel continues to hear from the Lord and to live out those words. Samuel learns how to be a great prophet because he is willing to lay down his life and serve the Lord and God’s people.

As a church, we emphasize servant language and not volunteer language because we believe that God calls us to a lifestyle of service. We can never be reminded to often to live as sold out servants of God. A church that serves others and the community is a church that God can use to change lives, impact communities, and transform regions. God is still calling this church to be a catalyst to make Brimfield a place of refuge and peace in Northeast Ohio.

To thrive we must be filled with the Holy Spirit, listen, and boldly follow God’s voice.. This means making God number one in your life. Jesus encourages us to seek first the Kingdom of righteousness and all else will be added unto you. You can do this regardless of your circumstance. You can be stretching to pay the bills and still live in the presence of God. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, God will lift you up and enable you to make a difference in the lives of people around you.



POWER IN COMMUNITY

I will be serving you until the end of June. I will not be coasting and simply riding my time out. I want to give back to you as much as you have given to me. It is my goal to prepare you to listen, lead, and continue to grow in the Lord. Together with Holy Spirit this church is being renewed. Tune your ears to heaven to be guided forward. Listen and follow the voice of God. Move in the power of God. Together, you can fulfill the promises and destiny that God has for this church.



COMMUNION

As we move to communion this morning, let’s make it a time of drawing close to the Lord. Communion is an opportunity to enter into the presence of God and to tangibly receive the grace and love of God. It gives us the chance to hear God’s voice and be guided by it.

Let us remember that night in which Jesus gathered the disciples for the last supper. As they sat around the table, he took the bread, broke it and gave thanks to the Father. Then he said, “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

When the supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples and said, “Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

He did these so they would experience the power, grace and love of God. To draw them into the presence of God and to draw them together as a community called together by the voice of God.

Let us pray… Come, Holy Spirit, be poured out among us gathered here and on these gifts of bread and wine and oil. Let us experience your fullness, your power, your love, and your healing. And let us be made whole and empowered as one people to do your work and will in the world. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.

The table is set. All who desire Christ’s love are invited to come forward. As you take the elements, I would invite you to sit in the first couple of rows or to gather around the altar in prayer. Let us experience the fellowship of communion and together hear the voice of God.