Principles-4-Progress 3

Principles-4-Progress (3 of 3) Objective… To plant seeds of healthy spiritual rhythms, that create a rich and fulfilling relationship with God.

Listen: Hard Work That Pays Off

I Samuel 3:1-10 NLT  Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the LORD by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the LORD were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.
2 One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. 4 Suddenly the LORD called out, “Samuel!” “Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” 5 He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did.
6 Then the LORD called out again, “Samuel!” Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” “I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.”
7 Samuel did not yet know the LORD because he had never had a message from the LORD before. 8 So the LORD called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
Then Eli realized it was the LORD who was calling the boy. 9 So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, LORD, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed. 10 And the LORD came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”

Introduction: When there is a disregard for God, the things of God, a low moral standard, and a low social view of those we interact with, darkness is the result.

Transition: The great moral and social prophet Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that “…we don’t know each other because we don’t communicate with each other”. Which is why there is a need for us to embrace and employ deep listening skills…

–Be fully present: mind, body, and soul converge on the same place at the same time.

–Don’t dismiss feelings: people are allowed to be honest concerning their present.

-Keep anxiety low: things rattle us all, but the calmer we are the more rational we are.

–Listen to understand not to respond: so much tension and hostility exists because we forget that conversation is about learning instead of loud talking.

Exposition: Just when it seems that all hope was lost, God calls to Samuel in the night…

1… Listening for God demands proper placement (verses 2-4) Stay Close! Don’t play with you church time (Hebrews 10:25); Don’t allow life’s swift transitions to drive you away (Romans 8:38-39); Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’ve arrived (II Corinthians 12:17).

2… Coaching is key (verses 5-9) You need more than cheerleaders! Eli wasn’t perfect; he failed at being a father and as a priest, but he was able to eventually successfully coach Samuel on identifying the voice of God. Reference Proverbs 15:22

3… Your response is everything (verse 10) “Speak, your servant is listening”! When you serve God talks, and humility to his voice makes him your Lord whom you know, love, and obey.

Challenge: Make it a priority to practice deep listening this week, especially in prayer. Take note of how it makes you feel and how much more in sync you are in conversation.