1 SAMUEL 32007 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: 1 Samuel 3

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2007.

on my heart for this evening and really it's not just for this evening but it's something that God's been placing upon my heart for the for Wednesday nights to come as well and really a new direction and I don't know how long the Lord will take us in this direction but for a season at least God wants to mix up Wednesday evenings a little bit and and really challenge us in our walks with him and

and in our relationship with him and in ministering to one another. And so I'll kind of explain that a little bit more as I go, but let's start here in 1 Samuel chapter 3 and look at verses 1 through 8. 1 Samuel chapter 3 verses 1 through 8 says this, Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli, and the word of the Lord was rare in those days. There was no widespread revelation.

And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was laying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see, and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, that the Lord called to Samuel, and he answered, Here I am.

So he ran to Eli and said, Here I am, for you called me. And he said, I did not call. Lie down again. And he went and lay down. Verse 6. Then the Lord called yet again, Samuel. So Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, Here I am, for you called me.

He answered, I did not call you, my son. Lie down again. Verse 7. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli and said, Here I am, for you did call me. Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. This evening I want to share a couple different things with you.

First of all, I want to remind ourselves of the importance of the personal relationship that we have with God and that God desires with us.

But along with that personal relationship with God that He desires with us and that He has provided for us, it doesn't take away from the relationship that God desires to have with us corporately as Christians that He has called to gather together. There's a need for us on our own and individually to meet with the Lord, to be with Him, to spend time with Him, to hear from Him, to speak to Him, to get to know Him.

But there's also a need that He has created for us that we need one another and we need to minister to one another. We need to reach out and serve one another and we need to receive ministry and service of others unto ourselves. There's an exchange that God has created for me to minister to you and for you to minister to me. That God has created the body in such a way that we need one another.

But it begins with us personally. Now, I don't know how many of you guys are familiar with this, but any wife can tell you that men are really not relationship geniuses. Right? Can you wives testify? Amen. Okay. For a guy in a marriage...

Hey, if kind of the... There's no... Well, not too much fighting going on. If the bills are getting paid. If, you know, there's food on the table. Yeah, the marriage is great. The relationship is good. You know, if you go through the day and... It doesn't even have to be much conversation or much talk. But, you know, just kind of the basic, the bare essentials. The guy will be content in the marriage. Okay, this is okay. This is fine. Now...

The wife isn't necessarily that way and that's why we have marriage counseling. Because it takes the guys a while. It takes us... We're kind of thick-headed. And it takes us a while to realize that relationship and marriage is more than just, well, we're roommates, we help pay the bills together, we go through the day. There's a need for communication, for real intimacy within a marriage. In the same way,

I want to carry that over to our relationship with God. That there is a need for a real personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Now, we all know that. Well, I hope you know that. We have the saying, Christianity is not a religion, but it's a relationship. We all know that. But we need to be reminded of what that means.

God desires a personal relationship with us. In verses 1 through 8 here in 1 Samuel chapter 3, God is reminding us that He is a personal God. As a Christian, kind of like the husband in a marriage sometimes, we can get caught up in the routine and be content in our relationship with God because

by just kind of going through the motions and never really experiencing the intimacy that God desires. We come to church, we do our service, we read our Bibles, we kind of go through the day and do our thing, and it becomes easily a routine that we follow, and yet often we miss the real relationship that God desires to have with us.

God is a personal God. He knows you by name. He knows me by name. And here he knows Samuel by name. Samuel didn't even know the Lord at this time. He hadn't heard from the Lord ever before. And we find him being called to by the Lord. And this isn't something unique just for Samuel because he was super special and he was the only one that God ever wanted to speak to.

But it's what God desires with each and every one of us. That there Samuel is lying on his bed. He's going to sleep. He's preparing for a good night's rest. And he hears his name being called, Samuel. And it was so real to him that he answered. He said, here I am. And he gets up and he runs to Eli. Now, who's Eli? Eli was the priest of the temple at that time. Samuel was there serving the Lord in the temple and

See, he was there, he was serving God, he was in the temple, and yet he hadn't heard the voice of the Lord yet. He didn't have that personal relationship with God yet. And maybe that's you this evening. You're here in the house of God, in the church, but you haven't heard God call your name yet. Maybe you've prayed the prayer. You've been born again, but your relationship with God is...

Well, you don't have these times. You've forgotten that it's a personal God. You've gotten caught up in the routine and the day in and day out of Christianity and religion and you've missed out on the personal and intimate relationship that God desires to have with us. He calls Samuel. Now, Samuel goes to Eli and Eli says, I didn't call you. What are you talking about? You're hearing things. Go back to bed. And then he calls him again.

The Lord's persistent. He's not quick to give up on us. He desires earnestly to speak to us. Samuel goes, here I am. Goes back to Eli. Eli goes again, I didn't call you. Go back to bed. Yet God persists. He's patient. He knows we're dull of hearing. He knows we're hard-headed and thick-skulled sometimes. He wants to break through. He wants to reach Samuel and speak to him.

And so he tells him again, Samuel. Samuel gets up, goes back to Eli. Finally, Eli understands what's going on. The Lord is trying to get a hold of him. God's trying to speak to him. And so he tells him what to do. Here's what you do. When God wants to speak to you, go back. He's going to call you again. And you respond, here I am. Speak, Lord. Your servant listens. I'm ready, God. I want to hear from you.

This evening, God has placed this upon my heart and in a sense, like Eli, sending me to you to say, listen, God is calling out to you. He is a personal God. He wants to speak with you personally, individually, directly and specifically. And when he does, when he calls your name, respond like Samuel. Speak, Lord, for your servant listens. I'm ready, God. What do you want to say?

God desires a relationship with us and He calls to us and calls to us and calls to us. But He waits for us to respond, to be willing, to be desiring to hear from Him and open to what He has to say. There is such a need for us, brothers and sisters in the Lord. There's such a great need for us to hear from God. When's the last time you've really heard from God?

When's the last time He's really spoken something really specific about you in your life to your heart? When's the last time He's given you real direction in your life? When's the last time He's revealed Himself to you in a way that was something unique and different than ever before?

You see, it's so easy for us to get caught up in the routine, even reading through our Bible every day, every day, every day. Coming to church, oh, great message. And then there's no real intimacy with the Lord. In Mark chapter 4, verses 33 and 34, it tells us that Jesus was speaking to the crowds and he would always speak in parables to the crowds. But then...

After he had finished ministering to the crowds, it says that he would explain everything when he was alone with his disciples. And there's a danger for us as Christians to be in the routine of things, to be going through the motions, to be coming to church regularly, but to not be alone with Jesus. And coming to church, there's an essential need for that as believers in Jesus Christ. We'll get to that. But there is also a very real need.

For you to be alone with Jesus. Because it's when you're alone with Jesus that He will explain everything to you. You can come here and I can teach or someone can teach an incredible message. Blow your brains out. Powerful. Filled with the Spirit. Just God working tremendously.

But that is not a substitute. If you want God really to work, if you want God really to explain, really for His Word to be revealed, it's not from someone else teaching, but it's from you being alone with Jesus. It's then that He explains everything to you. Both are necessary.

You need to be here. You need to be taught. You need to allow God to minister through those that he has raised up, those that he has placed within the church. But it is also important for you to remember that this is a personal God that we have. And he's calling you by name. And you need to be ready to say, Speak, Lord, for your servant listens. God wants to speak to you personally. Let's go on in verses 9 through 14 here at 1 Samuel chapter 3.

Therefore Eli said to Samuel, Go lie down, and it shall be, if he calls you, that you must say, Speak, Lord, for your servant hears. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the Lord came and stood and called, as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. And Samuel answered to speak, for your servant hears.

Then the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do something in Israel, at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. And that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house from beginning to end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them.

As we go on in the story now, Samuel gives him the instruction. Here's what you say when God calls you again. Speak, Lord, for your servant hears. So Samuel goes, he goes back, and God calls him again, just like all the times before. Again, God, He doesn't give up on us very easily. He doesn't give up on us very easily.

He calls out to us again and again, waiting for us to respond, to invite him to speak to us, to invite him to work in our hearts. And so Samuel says, speak, Lord, for your servant hears. I'm open. God, I want you to speak to me. I'm ready to hear what you have to say. Oftentimes in prayer, it's, listen, Lord, for I'm speaking. But we need it to reverse as well. Yeah, we need to share our heart with the Lord. That's good. That's important.

But we need to be able to say, speak Lord, for your servant listens. I'm ready God, I want to hear from you. Lord, what do you have to say about my life? What do you have to say to me personally? What do you want to speak to me? We have a personal God, and here in verses 9 through 14, he delivers personal messages. He gives to Samuel, not a generic message, God loves everyone, or God is love, but

Not something that God could say to any person at any time. He gives to Samuel a message that is specific to him, specific to his lifetime, specific to the people around him, the nation that he's in, specific to the location of where he's at. It's very specific. He's a personal God who gives personal messages. He's not watching from a distance, but he is involved.

in the intricacies of our lives. And he tells Samuel some things about Eli. Now, Eli's time was coming to an end because he had some sons that were really messing up. They were not representing God. They were causing people to not want to come worship God. And so as a result, God had promised that his judgment would be brought upon the house of Eli. It's interesting to me what God is doing here.

Notice he says several times, I have told him. This is something I've already spoken. This isn't a new revelation that God is giving to Samuel in regards to Eli. It's the first time Samuel has heard it. But Eli had already heard this message. Look at verse 13. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows. This isn't a surprise, right?

what God is doing. Why? Well, because He's a personal God who delivers personal messages. He had already spoken specifically, directly to Eli about the situation with his sons, about what he needed to do about it. Eli disregarded that message. He didn't follow through. He didn't do the things that God had asked. And then so he spoke again to Eli specifically, "This is what's going to happen."

If you don't, since you won't, do what I've called you to do. And so, as a result, he continues to ignore the Word of God, to ignore what God has called him to do. And so now, he's going to experience the judgment that he has built up for himself as a result of his disobedience to the Lord.

So we have this personal message that's been delivered to Eli, and now this personal message that's being delivered to Samuel. God wants Samuel to know what's going on, what's happening. He's preparing Samuel for the next thing in his life and the way that God is going to use him.

It was a personal message for Samuel. This message, although he shares it with Eli in just a moment, it wasn't to announce to Eli this fact or what God was going to do. Eli already knew this message was specifically for Samuel because God wanted him to know. There was things that God wanted to teach him through this message that he was giving to him. God gives us personal messages.

He's a personal God. And that's why I ask you, when's the last time that God has spoken to you personally, specifically about your life and where you live and the people that you minister to and the workplace that you're in? When's the last time that God has specifically, personally, individually spoken to you? Not just as we have been studying about the grace of God on Sunday mornings,

Oh, it's been awesome. Incredible to reflect and to think about the grace of God. But beyond, okay, God's gracious to us and God lets us be involved in ministry by His grace and He forgives us by His grace. Beyond the truths of the Word of God, there's also a prophetic element that God wants to reach beyond just knowing information about Him and speak specifically and directly into our lives.

about the things that we struggle with, or the things that are to come, or the areas He wants us to pursue, or the things He wants us to pull back from. God has personal, specific messages for you. Not just generic truths about who He is. Although those are important, and those are so valuable. We need them. But let's not forget to be alone with Jesus. Because He's a personal God, and He wants to speak to us.

personally, specifically, directly. Let's move on, looking at verses 15 through 18. So Samuel lay down until morning and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel and said, Samuel, my son. He answered, here I am.

And he said, What is the word that the Lord spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that he said to you. Then Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him. Not only do we have a personal God who delivers personal messages to us, but then he gives to us

personally, opportunities to minister, to share. Here, God has spoken to Samuel, and Eli says, hey, what did God say? You know, Pastor Tom used to always ask us that as he was around here. Hey, what's the Lord saying to you? And I think there's a lot of us that could testify, man, we hate that question. Just being put on the spot and, man, what if I didn't read that day?

what if I haven't been listening to God? It was a good reminder that, hey, God wants to speak to you. What's God been saying to you? What's he been speaking? Eli says to Samuel, hey, what did the Lord say? But it says that Samuel was afraid to tell him what God had spoken to him. And I can share that personally in my own life. Man, there's those times that God has spoken to me personally, and it really freaks me out to tell anybody what God has said. It's not always because, you know,

Well, the Lord told me, George, that He's going to judge you and your family and you're going to be cut off from the face of the earth. It doesn't always have to be that way. But there's a fear that comes when, ah, it's time to share. Someone wants to know, what's God been saying? Sometimes the things that God impresses upon our heart are so just kind of fantastic that it's like, man, I would feel weird sharing this. Like, they're going to think I'm crazy. Or what if it doesn't come to pass? What if it doesn't happen? Or,

It can be difficult to share the things of God, the things that God has been speaking to us. He's a personal God and He gives us personal messages and He gives us those messages not just so that we can just sit there and do nothing with them, but along with those messages, He gives us personal opportunities to share what God has been saying to us. God's pretty efficient in what He does. He pours Himself into us. He speaks to us directly. But...

In a sense, he's saying this, well, I don't want just you to get blessed as I'm speaking to you. This message that I'm giving, I want others to be blessed by it as well. So you turn around and share it with others. Share with them what God has been speaking to you, what God is doing in your life. Share with them the things that I tell you for them or about them. Samuel shares with Eli, and Eli says, it's the Lord. Let it be done as he said.

Kind of sad as far as Eli is concerned in that his heart is at this point, well, I'm not really going to do anything about it still. Even though God's already spoken to me personally several times, I already know what God is saying and now he's revealing it to you. Still, there's not really a repentant heart there in Eli, which is very sad. And sometimes that can happen for us. But this evening, I want to encourage you and challenge you.

I want to remind you, we have a personal God. He's intimately involved in your life. He wants to be so close with you. He wants to speak things directly into your life and into your heart about your life. And He wants to speak things specifically that He's going to use you to share with others and minister to others. Let's continue on, finish off the chapter in verses 19 through 21. So Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.

And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. Notice what it says in verse 19. So, so what happened? So Samuel grew and the Lord was with him. So, what does that word mean? It means this is a direct result of...

things that have proceeded. God called to Samuel. Samuel responded, I'm open, Lord. I'm listening. Speak to me. God gave him a message personally for him. And he gave him an opportunity to share that with someone else. And as a result of him being open to the God and God speaking to him and him sharing that with someone else, he grew. He grew in the Lord.

And the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And then all of Israel from Dan to Beersheba, that's the farthest north to the farthest south, all of Israel knew that he was a prophet of the Lord. Does all of Israel know that you are a prophet of the Lord? Israel is kind of far away. But Israel is important to Samuel because that's where he lived. How about where you live? All the way to the north? Down to the south? Does everyone know that?

That you're a prophet of the Lord. You say, well, I'm not called to be a prophet like Billy Graham or those guys, you know. It doesn't have to be that way. It doesn't mean you have to have the public ministry. But does everyone around you know God's been speaking to you? Does everyone around you know that you have a personal relationship with God? You know, it's that way with Daniel. Remember when Belshazzar was there throwing the party and he was

bringing out the instruments from the temple really glorying and how great the kingdom was and he was and then the finger appears and writes on the wall and he freaks out nobody can translate it nobody can interpret it and then his mom comes in and says hey there's a guy in whom is the spirit of the gods god speaks to him personally he speaks to him and and he'll be able to help you

It was that way for all of Daniel's ministry. People knew. Everybody knew. This guy hears from God. He has the Spirit of God within him. And in the same way, you and I, we have much more advantage over Daniel, over Samuel, in that we have the finished work of the cross, the Holy Spirit indwelling, the empowering of the Holy Spirit. We have the entire Word of God before us, the whole counsel of God,

opportunities galore for God to speak to us and minister to our hearts. Does all of Israel know? Does everyone around you know that you have a relationship with the creator of the universe? All of Israel knew as a result of his personal encounter with God. Look at verse 21. God revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. God revealed Himself.

So we have a personal God, personal messages from this God. We have personal ministry that he gives to us individually. And then we have personal revelation. God revealed himself to Samuel. God revealed himself to Samuel. Not just to all of Israel, but to all of Israel.

Like he did with the crossing of the Jordan or the crossing of the Red Sea. Not with just, you know, the miracles that God did to reveal himself to the nation collectively. But personally, God revealed himself to Samuel. This is one of my favorite verses, 1 Samuel 3.21. The Lord revealed himself by the word of the Lord. He revealed himself personally. And how did he do so?

By the word of the Lord. This is one of the reasons why I encourage you over and over again to be reading through the word of God. I encourage you to go through the Bible in a year with us because it's so important for you as a believer remembering that we have a personal God to get alone with Jesus.

And spend time with Him. And allow Him to speak to you personally the messages that He desires to give. So that you will be equipped and prepared for the ministry that He will present before you. And as you are faithful to spend time with Jesus, to hear from Him, and then to share the things that He impresses upon your heart, you will grow. The Lord will be with you. Everyone around you will know that you have a relationship with God.

And He will reveal Himself personally to you. This is something this year that God has placed upon my heart for 2008 as I read through the Word. Different years I focus on different things within the Word. Sometimes read different versions as I go through the Bible in a year. I've been praying about, Lord, what do you want me to focus on? Is there an emphasis you want me to look for? Things you want me to connect? What do you want me to be searching for in your Word?

And the Lord brought me back to this portion and reminded me, here's what I want you to do, Jerry. I want you every day to get alone with me, to say, speak, Lord, your servant listens, to hear my messages, to hear what I want to say to you as a man, as a husband. I want to reveal myself to you. And so,

Not looking for those cool things that link together in the awesome ways that God's word just intertwines. Not looking for these specific areas or instances or these prophecies or the fulfillment of these things. But I just want you to focus on hearing from me. Jerry, I want to reveal myself to you like never before. And I extend that to you. God's calling out to you. He's saying, look, I want to reveal myself to you. I want to speak to you.

I want to use you to impact the people around you. But it starts by remembering that we have a personal God who desires a personal relationship with us, to speak to us personally, to use us and give us specific opportunities of ministry that He might be glorified in us, that we might grow in Him, that He might reveal Himself to us. In 2 Peter 1, verses 2-4 says,

Peter, opening the book really there, says, Grace and peace be multiplied to you. We've been talking about grace on Sunday mornings, the importance of, the value of, just the incredible nature of God's grace. And he says, Grace and peace be multiplied to you. That's a cool word, multiplied. It's not added or a little bit more there, just add a smidge into your life. No, multiplied. Above and beyond.

More and more, may God's grace and peace be to you. How? Through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Guys, it goes on to say, He's given to us everything that pertains to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue. The one who called us is God. In getting to know Him, grace and peace are multiplied to us. We have everything that we need for life and for godliness.

You have trouble at work, difficult things in life, difficult things in family, whatever. God will give you everything you need. Direction, correction, help, strength for godliness. You're struggling with sin. You're wanting to know what He wants you to do. Seeking His will for your life. He'll give you everything that you need.

Through the knowledge of Him. It goes on to say in verse 4 that we have these great and precious promises that we get to partake in the divine nature. We talked about that in the relationship between grace and hope a couple weeks ago. The things that God has in store for us are incredible. All of these things, these precious promises, all things that pertain to life and godliness and grace and peace being multiplied to us come as a result of it's through the knowledge of God.

Personally, God wants to speak to you. He wants you to know Him. He wants to have a real and intimate relationship with Him. And then as a result of that relationship, He wants to use you to impact others. And this is where, going back to what I shared in the beginning, that God has been laying upon my heart a new direction for how long, I don't know, for a season, a year,

that He wants us to go on in Wednesday evenings. Still continuing through the book of Isaiah, but shifting the order of service in the way that we have service. So that in the beginning, we'll spend a shorter time of worship. We'll still continue to pray for the missionaries. We'll get into the Word of God. But the last 30 minutes or so of the service will be reserved for and dedicated to

continuing our hearts in worship, but allowing the body of Christ to minister to one another. And so if I could have the worship team come back up and prepare Royce and Daniel. We want to start that this evening, even though we don't have a full 30 minutes left. But Hebrews chapter 10, verse 24 and 25 tells us to consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.

And so I want to encourage you and challenge you in this, specifically for Wednesday evenings here at the fellowship, not to forsake our gathering together. God wants to do something new and special and unique in our hearts on Wednesday evenings. But don't just come saying, here I am, okay, minister to me. Consider one another that you may stir up love and good works.

I want to challenge you as you pursue a personal relationship with God and He speaks to you personally. I want to challenge you that God desires to use you then in those things that He's been speaking to you to minister to one another. And until God tells us otherwise, Wednesday evenings will be a night dedicated to that.

That after the message is delivered and we go into worship, that there will be those times of freedom for you to specifically go and minister to one another and share with each other what God has been putting upon your heart or to pray for one another or to operate in the gifts of the Spirit. It's something that God wants to do, guys. And it's a way that He's going to use for you to grow as you say, Here I am, Lord. As He speaks to you and as you share that with others.

You will grow spiritually in your relationship with God. And He will be revealing Himself to you. I want to know God more than ever. I want Him to reveal Himself to me. And so I want to be obedient, to spend time alone with Him, and to share those things that He puts upon my heart. That He, working through me, can be glorified. That everyone around will know that person has a personal relationship with God. God's revealing Himself to that person.

It's demonstrated, it's evident by the life that's being lived and the ministry that's being taken place. And so the worship team is going to lead us in one song for right now. And I want to encourage you and challenge you to sit before the Lord. You don't have to sing. You can have your Bibles open and be reading or just in quietness of your own heart. You and the Lord. Ask the Lord. Tell the Lord, Lord, here I am. Jerry says, you've been calling to me. Maybe I've heard you, maybe I haven't. But here I am, Lord.

Speak. I'm ready. What do you want to say to me? Because I want to hear from you. And then after they play that song, as you seek the Lord, we'll have an opportunity for you to perhaps share that. Maybe there'll be someone that God will lay upon your heart that needs to hear the things that He's speaking to you or that you need to pray with or whatever He places upon your heart. So let's just seek the Lord for right now. During this song, just spend time, you and the Lord, let Him speak to you

And then afterwards we'll have an opportunity to share and pass on what God has been speaking to us. Let's worship the Lord.