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Hearing God's Voice

EXPERIENCING GOD

Hearing God’s Voice

January 20, 2008

Text: 1 Samuel 3:1-11

1 Sam 3:1-12

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.

2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; 3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!" 5 and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down. 6 The LORD called again, "Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. 8 The LORD called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." 11 Then the LORD said to Samuel, "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle.

NRSV

[Series intro—experiencing God in your daily life. Have talked about seeing God’s face, feeling God’s presence. Today: Hearing God’s voice. Next week we’ll conclude with how to “play” with God.]

A pastor was working late on a Saturday night in his church, the Almighty God Tabernacle. [It’s important to remember that name—“Almighty God” Tabernacle.]

Around 10 p.m. he decided to call his wife before he left for home. The phone rang several times, but no one answered. A little concerned, he hung up and dialed again. This time she picked up the phone right away.

“I just called,” he said. “Why didn’t you answer?”

“The phone never rang,” she replied.

The following Monday, the pastor received a call at the church office.

The caller wanted to know why the pastor had called him Saturday night. The pastor was confused.

The caller said, “It rang and rang, but I didn’t answer.”

Then the pastor remembered the incident and apologized for disturbing him, explaining that he had intended to call his wife and must have dialed the wrong number.

The man said, “That’s okay. You know, I was planning to commit suicide that night, but before I did, I prayed, ‘God if you’re there, and you don’t want me to do this, give me a sign now’. At that moment my phone started to ring. I looked at the Caller ID, and it said, ‘Almighty God.’ I was just too afraid to answer!”

I don’t know if this is a true story or not. What is true, though, is this. Your phone in life does ring at times, and the caller ID does say, “Almighty God.”

God’s voice is a booming voice. God is not quiet. We may listen to too much noise in our lives to hear God’s voice. Or, we confuse God’s voice with our inner voice, our inner desires, and say, “Thus says the Lord!,” when we’re really saying, “Here’s what I think!”

But regardless of the noise around and within, God speaks loudly, clearly.

Let me give you two true, dramatic examples.

The first is from Anthony Trevithick, in Kent, England. In the United Methodist Upper Room devotional he wrote:

My wife called me to lunch. As [we said grace,]…inwardly I heard God say to me, "Go to see Mrs. Henry -- now!" I hesitated for a few moments and then told my wife that I had to leave, [and why]…

I [went to Mrs. Henry’s house, and rang the doorbell.] There was no reply. I went to the back door…and shouted, "May I come in?" Then I heard a muffled sound from inside the house.

When I entered the parlor, I saw Mrs. Henry on the floor, unable to move. She looked up at me and said, "Where have you been? I have been praying for you to come for half an hour!"

--Upper Room, 1/28/04

The second example of God’s loud, clear voice comes from Bruce Watson. Here’s a story he wrote in Christianity Online:

Four years ago, I was sitting in my cab in front of a Philadelphia hotel, thinking and praying…I was wondering where I was going to get $60 to pay for the daily rent of my cab.

I could lose the cab--and my livelihood--if I didn't come up with the money immediately.

Just then, a young woman got into my cab and said, "I know it will cost $25 for this ride, but I can only afford to pay you $15. I work for a charity, and that's all they gave me for cab fare." I thought about it for a minute…then agreed to do it.

At her destination, the woman paid her $15 fare, then reached into her purse and laid a $100 bill next to me on the seat!

"The $15 fare was the charity's money," she explained. "This is my own money. God told me you needed it." With that, she was gone.

--Christianity Online, 10/6/98

God’s voice can be clear, unmistakable. It comes as a thought, or a feeling, that you can’t ignore—something persistent.

God can speak during grace at the dinner table.

God can speak in a taxi cab.

God can speak in the middle of the night…

“SAMUEL, SAMUEL!”

This story in the Old Testament is the most dramatic example of the loud, unmistakable divine voice.

When I read this story, three things jump out at me—three things we have to do if our ears are to hear God’s voice above life’s regular noise.

The first thing you notice in this story is that God spoke to Samuel when and where the boy didn’t expect it.

Now, you might expect to hear God’s voice when you’re in church. Or when you’re praying at home, or reading the Bible. Or when you’re on a mission trip or helping someone in need.

But…sleeping???

Who knows, maybe Samuel was listening to his iPod all day, and the only time to get his attention was when he was sleeping?

Maybe God doesn’t just speak through the expected channels. Maybe God enjoys speaking…

…in your office, around the copier.

…in your board room, during a committee meeting.

…in your living room, during a family meeting.

Something happens—something captures your mind or heart—a thought or feeling comes out of nowhere. It’s up to us to expect it. Samuel didn’t. He thought it was someone else’s voice. We, who have witnessed the bold action of God in Jesus Christ, know better.

If you are to hear God’s voice, the first thing to do is this:

LISTEN FOR GOD AT ALL TIMES, AND IN ALL PLACES.

The second thing you notice in this story is that when Samuel was confused about the voice, he went to someone he trusted and talked about it.

He went to Eli, the old priest. “You called me, didn’t you?” he asked. Eli was faithful and smart, and the Bible says he eventually “perceived” that it was God’s voice calling Samuel in the night.

When you hear God’s voice, when you can’t get something out of your mind or heart—when that voice is unsettling, unusual and you’re not sure about it: when you hear that voice, who do you go to?

It has to be someone who knows you, someone you can trust.

It has to be someone who knows a bit about life, about the deeper side of life, to be exact.

It has to be someone who knows something about God, and God’s persistent voice.

Who is Eli for you? You MUST have an Eli, to test what you’re hearing. Otherwise, you might be mistaking the voice. That’s why among the friends you have, you MUST include people of faith—people who seek to hear, and have heard, God’s voice.

If you are to hear God’s voice, the second thing to do is this:

CLARIFY WHAT GOD IS SAYING.

The third thing you notice in this story is that Samuel was willing to do what God said. The boy responded with those beautiful words Eli instructed him to say: “Speak, for your SERVANT is listening.”

That’s a pretty bold statement to make. You’re saying, “I’ll pay attention to what you’re saying, and I’ll do what you ask, for I am your SERVANT.”

Samuel did NOT say, “I’ll think about what you’re saying, and will get back to you with my response.”

Nope—there was not “I’ll think about it.” There was only, “SPEAK, and your SERVANT will listen.”

When you’ve heard what God says, when you’ve clarified what God says, then you DO what God says. Period.

Listening isn’t enough. Listening has to be followed by obeying. Otherwise, you’re wasting God’s time.

The third thing to do if you’re to hear God:

BE WILLING TO OBEY GOD’S VOICE.

Three things if you want to hear God speaking in your life.

Samuel did them well that night in the temple. As a matter of fact, he did them so well that God spoke again to him later. And again after that. Samuel developed a good ear for hearing God clearly. God spoke often, knowing that Samuel would hear and obey.

God went on to use him to shape the course of Israel’s history. When Samuel said, “Thus says the Lord…” people listened—because they knew he had an ear for God, and his words would be God’s words.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be known for having an ear for God? Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to say, “Thus says the Lord” beyond any shadow of doubt? For most of us, myself included, it’s a life-long process. It’s trial and error. I’m glad God is a grace-filled God, and in spite of the times I interfere with His voice, God still keeps trying to speak.

But God does speak, and occasionally someone of the stature of Samuel listens and responds. The person who comes to my mind this morning is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He heard God’s voice, clarified it through years of struggle, and obeyed it regardless of the cost. When he spoke, people knew they were hearing an echo of God’s voice. And like Samuel, God used Dr. King to shape the course of a nation.

I’m going to read to you brief excerpts from two of his speeches. If you hear them like I did, you hear an echo from the old biblical prophets, whose voices pulsated with God’s passion for righteousness and justice.

First, from a speech that followed a brutal, violent response to one of the peaceful protest marches:

To our most bitter opponents we say: "We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering…Do to us what you will, and we shall continue to love you. We cannot in all good conscience obey your unjust laws, because noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good. Throw us in jail, and we shall still love you. Bomb our homes and threaten our children, and we shall still love you. Send your hooded perpetrators of violence into our communities at the midnight hour and beat us and leave us half dead, and we shall still love you. But be ye assured that we will wear you down by our capacity to suffer. One day we shall win freedom, but not only for ourselves. We shall so appeal to your heart and conscience that we shall win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory.

Are those not words that come from the heart of God? The God who told Amos, “Let justice roll down like waters, and justice like an ever-flowing stream”? (Amos 5:24) And the God who said through Jesus, “Love your enemies.”

The second excerpt is from the last speech he made, the night before he was assassinated. It’s the testimony of someone who obeyed God’s voice, regardless of the cost.

Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And he's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land. And I'm happy tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing

any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

The words of a man who simply did what Samuel did.

In what situation will you say, “SPEAK, FOR YOUR SERVANT IS LISTENING.”

Never ever forget:

Caller ID says, “Almighty God.”

Answer it—before it stops ringing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0FiCxZKuv8