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First Samuel, Chapter 3, and before I get started, I do want to say I greatly appreciate all the work that was done here yesterday. Of course, there's been lots of work since we got into this building, but most recently all this trim that's gone up, the work that's been accomplished here, I really, really appreciate it. And a special shout out to our young men, Bryson and Robbie and Camden, who were here yesterday and were tireless in their work. It's a little hot now. Tireless in their work. I had to finally said, hey, why don't you all go with me? We're going to go get something to eat, to bring something back, and so they all went with me down to pick up the food. But I had to pull them away from the work, and I really, really do appreciate that, guys. I mean, it's just tremendous. The looks have changed so much in here. I'm just so happy and thanking God that He's given us all that we have. We could be in a tent somewhere, and it'd be enough. We could have church just like that, but God has blessed us with comfort. They're not the prettiest pews. They're not the most well-padded pews, either. They're about wore out, but we've got them to sit on. We saw the pictures from when Brother Monty and them went down to the Dominican. You were there and built that little church that was there. Well, all their pews were benches, and that's it. No backs to them. I don't know if I'd survive. I wouldn't feel like I would. I'd probably be standing the whole service. But I thank God that He's given us such good things and helped us out in so many different ways here, and I'm looking forward to what God has in store for us. First Samuel chapter 3. Let's begin reading with verse 1. 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 callest 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. 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. 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, that thou shalt say, and it shall be. Let me begin that verse again. 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. Will you pray with me? Lord, thank you so much for this precious Bible. Thank you for the lessons that we hear in it, we find. Thank you for the preaching of your Word. And I'm asking tonight that you'd pass by here. Thank you, Lord, that you are willing to hear our worship. I pray that you'll anoint the preaching. You know the needs that are in this congregation, and I pray that they will be fulfilled tonight. I pray that the needs that you are looking to address tonight will be fulfilled, that you'll find responsive people tonight to your holy Word in Jesus' name, amen, amen. Thank you. I want to try to preach tonight for a title, Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Familiar story here that we have in 1 Samuel. And my title, just being those two words, they're simple, and you really know what they mean. Yes, it's just that affirmative answer. A request has come, and I answer in the positive. That when I am asked, I respond with, yes, yes. I'm not turning down the request. I'm not saying another day. I'm not putting it off. It is simply, right now, yes and Lord. When we call anyone Lord, and we call God Lord. We call Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior and our Lord. But we're really saying to whoever we call Lord, you're my superior. You're higher than me. I confess that you're over me. You're the boss. The choices that I make in my life, I don't make them according to what I want, but I seek what you want, and I call you Lord. You're the boss of my life. You're the Lord, the one above, and I am the servant. And so if anyone puts those two words together, yes, Lord, it is answering Him affirmatively, positively, that I consent entirely to the authority of Almighty God. It's simply saying, yes, Lord. I bow myself, and what you say, I'm agreeing with. I consent and I yield myself to you by saying, yes, Lord. I look to and I agree with the demands of my Lord and put away my own desires. There's things that I would rather have. But instead, I say, I put those away and I accept the demands and the desires of God. Beginning to live life with the prayer that Jesus prayed in the garden, not my will, but thine be done, I say, yes, Lord. And I'm hoping tonight that I might be able to convince somebody who's been hearing the voice of God to step up tonight and say, yes, Lord. If Brother Moore was here tonight, he might remind us in Croatian, reči čuda buže. I'll say, yes, Lord. I'll say, yes. And that's what I really hope somebody decides tonight. Okay, I'm going to say, yes, Lord. We have this record here in 1 Samuel chapter 3 that Samuel was just a child when he began to hear the voice of God. I mean, a little boy gets to hear the voice of God. And 1 Samuel chapter 3 describes how the relationship between God and Samuel went from he had not known the voice of God and he had not heard, he did not yet know the Lord, neither was the Word of the Lord yet revealed to him. We have in this chapter how this great relationship between God and the man of God got started. A very personal relationship with the two began. Now of course, we know here that Samuel had already been accustomed to the ministry in the house of God. That's what he was doing there. After he was born and after he was weaned, his mother said, I will lend him to the Lord all the days of his life. And he went to live at the temple and he began to pick up. And the very first verse says there, the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. Yet he didn't know who God was. He had never started his personal relationship with God yet. But Samuel already accustomed to the ministry in the house of God, but he didn't know God yet. He knew the customs of the church, the temple, the tabernacle. He knew the order of the services, but yet he had not made acquaintance. He knew about the house of God, but he had not made acquaintance with the God of the house just yet. It was all motions. It was all habit. It was all a learning experience and he knew how to do things. By this time of his life, Samuel would have known how to help others in their worship. Samuel would have known how to help others in making their sacrifices and putting things in order. It was his responsibility, his job in the house of God. He could see faithful people come in and participate in worship before God and they'd be sincere. And he could watch it all. And yet he had not begun a personal relationship with God yet himself. We also know, according to our reading in chapter 2, that he was exposed to the hypocrisy that happens sometimes among those who are worshipers of God. The double lies that got seen in those pretenders who were still working in the tabernacle. It is not enough to know about religion. It is not enough to know the functions of the church. It is not even enough to be able to pick out the real from the fake, from the pretenders. Because the work of God, it goes on. And you may see it. You may be familiar with it. But you've got to have a relationship with God Yourself and say, Yes, Lord. Now the work that's going on around here has been wonderful. I commented on it just a few minutes ago. It's been great. It's been appreciated. And let me make a pause right here, parentheses right here, OK? There's been something I've been meaning to say since October. And I have neglected to say it since then. I've forgotten. I don't remember to write it down. But sisters, you have really kept this place nice. When this carpet went down, it was a game changer in here. It's clean. It's clean everywhere, here and there. I mean, I know the dust was a lot to contend with, but y'all have really picked up. And I really appreciate the taking care of the tabernacle. We're not coming in and saying, Well, I guess we'll knock down the dust or the cobwebs or we'll have to pick up before church starts. Y'all are taking care of things. And like I said, it has been, and I've noticed it since October. But as much of the work that's gone on around here by everyone that's been involved, there's not one piece of work that has ever made you more saved. Not one piece of work. No matter how familiar you are with the workings of the church, there has got to be a personal encounter with God Himself. Samuel had great privilege. He's being mentored by the priest of the house of the Lord. All the education that he received from the top cleric in all the land, it did not get him any closer. It was not enough. Samuel needed to get to know God for himself. And so we see here in 1 Samuel chapter 3, just how Samuel's relationship with God begins. Samuel's relationship, personal relationship with God begins like this. God does the calling. God was calling out to Samuel. And anybody who really knows God, you can remember back to a time when He did the calling. God did the calling. Every relationship with God begins that way. You did not initiate the conversation and God responded. You weren't the one that sought God and then He decided that He would respond to you. I know there's a lot of people that they feel like, I went looking for God and I finally found Him. But the truth is that it was God Himself that provoked the soul to go looking, to go searching for God in the first place. In the book of Romans chapter 10, He wrote, Say not in thine heart who shall ascend into heaven, that is, to bring Christ down from heaven, who shall descend into the deep, that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead. That wasn't our part. Nobody reached up to heaven and said, we need a Savior. Nobody reached down to death and to hell and brought Him up from the grave and said, now, we need You to save us. It was all God's doing and it will be the same way. That when God begins to call, there needs to be a response, yes, yes, Lord, yes. So Samuel hears God speaking to him and you know the story. He jumps up from the bed and he goes running in to Eli because he thought he heard Eli's voice. Now, I heard a man say a few years ago, don't you think it's curious that when he heard the voice of God, it sounded like church leadership? It came from the ministry. It's like, well, that sounds like the preaching I hear all the time. Hearing God's voice, there's a familiarity there. And often there are people who hear that call. They hear that call and they refuse it. People begin to make excuses, well, I don't believe that's God. I believe that's Eli. That's what I really believe. And the pressure that starts to get on an individual, they start blaming it on spiritual leadership. I've heard far too many people blame a pastor or blame a teacher or blame an evangelist for what they're feeling inside their heart. God's calling them up to a higher calling. God is calling them to straighten out some things in their life. God's calling somebody to sanctification. And instead of stepping up, they're saying, that's just the pressure from the church. That's just the pressure from the pastor and I'm going to put it off. And all along, it is the voice of God calling out personally to an individual. Somebody saying that I feel bad about decisions that I've made. You know why? Because others are making me feel bad. I've been told every time I get around you, I feel like I'm just not measuring up. And I feel like you just act like you're better than me. And I said, I'm not doing it. I'm not causing it. I don't feel that way. I don't even have that power. Because I work around the world all day long and nobody says, well, you're just making me feel bad. It's the Spirit of God working on an individual saying, I want to bring you up. And it's easy to blame somebody else and say, you put that on me. You're making me feel this way when it's God being so gentle and so loving. Others are trying to enjoy everything in life, trying to make decisions about their own life, convincing themselves, I'm not doing anything wrong. But my past teachers are coming back in my mind, and they're haunting my mind. And they're not allowing me to enjoy the things that I want to enjoy. And it just keeps coming back to me. They called it religious trauma, that they feel like that the teachings that I've received, that they're all bad. When God Himself is reaching down to an individual and saying, I want to bring you up, I want to put you in a higher plane, I want to have a relationship with you, and instead of responding by yes, Lord, they're saying, you did it. You put it on me. You made me feel bad. I want to enjoy the things of this world, and I just can't get away from the teachings of the church. And all along, there's a voice in the night, Samuel, and Eli again, and Eli again, he's getting on me. And all the pressure that people begin to feel who want you to get close to God. God's trying to draw you up. God's trying to make you stronger. God's trying to give you gifts. God's trying to do something. Well, it's just pressure from everybody else that's expecting me to have more and to do more. While all along, it's the gentle, loving hand of God all coming down and reproving and correcting, and He's looking for somebody to respond, yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Because God would sure like to save somebody from the heartache of the decisions that they are making that are going to lead them to hell. God is speaking to people personally that He might deliver them from death. God stood by Samuel's bed and called his name. Samuel, thinking that it's Eli, jumps up and runs into Eli. But Eli hadn't called for Samuel, go back to bed, son, I didn't call for you. Three times that happens. And after the third time of Eli's sleep getting interrupted in the night, the Bible says that Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. So with wisdom, Eli tells Samuel, you hear that voice again, you respond to it. Don't come in here. I can't give you what that voice is calling you to. I can't give you the answers that will come from Him. So when you hear that voice again, you respond in a way that demonstrates you're willing to listen. When you hear that voice, you respond in a way that demonstrates to the speaker of that voice, of that word, I'm willing to listen. He said, when you hear it, you just simply answer. Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth. So the Bible tells us that Samuel returns to his bed. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And I think about that boy and the words going over in his mind. Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth. Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth. And I imagine what must have been going through the mind of that child at that time. His mentor just said, that's God talking to you. I mean, how must Samuel have felt while he lay there? Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth. Practicing, rehearsing that line over and again that he didn't want to forget it. Because now he had a brand new understanding that he hadn't had before. And he suddenly got the revelation, God's speaking to me. It's God who's speaking to me. And I had not discerned His voice. It was just like those men on the road to Emmaus. Didn't our hearts burn within us when He spoke with us? And we didn't even realize who He was. And now Samuel has this discernment. He's got this understanding. Now God's been talking to me. God's been talking to me. So after this solid spiritual guidance from Eli, he went back to his place. He lays down and he waits to hear the voice again. And he knew. This is what I'm going to say. This is what I'm going to say. Speak, for thy servant heareth. Waiting for the voice. He had made up his mind. He had now decided that when I hear the voice of God again, I'm going to say, Yes, Lord. Now maybe he was nervous. I mean, think about it. He's a child. He just got told, You've been hearing the voice of God. Maybe he was nervous. Maybe as he rehearsed his line, Speak, for thy servant heareth. Maybe there was a quiver in his voice, a nervousness, a fear that was there. For what in the world was God going to say to this young man? What could possibly God be looking to speak to a boy like me? Am I in trouble? Am I in trouble? Is that why God's talking to me? Is He going to ask something of me that there's no way that I can do? I'm not sure. Just imagine what it was, how he must have felt. And I would presume that many of us in this place know exactly how Samuel felt in that period of time, because we've been there ourselves when we heard the voice of God. And it made us nervous. It made us want to think about something else. It made us want to think, Well, that can't be right. That can't be right. That can't be right. It can't be for me. But Samuel was hearing the voice of God. And it wasn't in a big congregation where there was a word of prophecy being delivered out over all the crowd. You didn't hear from God standing in a prayer line with somebody speaking a word of knowledge over him. It wasn't even a thundering voice from heaven that he himself could hear and everybody else take notice that God was speaking. He didn't even have the privilege of the current prophet coming over and putting a mantle on him. But what he did have was it was just Samuel and God alone. God was visiting Samuel in a very personal, private, one-on-one meeting with him. And he called him by his name. That would have been enough, I think, for God to say, Will anybody listen? And somebody speak up. But God let him know, I'm talking to you, Samuel, Samuel. Now, as Samuel took the guidance from Eli and he went back and laid down and waited for the voice, Samuel had made up in his mind before he ever heard what God was going to say. I've already figured out how I'm going to answer. He didn't lay there, see if God would make a request, mull it over in his mind, decide the pros and the cons and decide if he was going to agree to this. There were no details. I mean, Eli didn't tell him, Look, that's God talking to you. Here's what he wants you to do. Just go back and listen to the voice of God. The details were not provided ahead of time. God did not lay out his plan and ask Samuel, Do you think you might be interested in what I have for you? God didn't do all that. But when God called Samuel's name and that's all it took, Samuel, Samuel, Samuel responded positively. There was no negotiating with Samuel. There was no saying, Look, yes, if you'll do this, then I'll do that. We'll sign us a contract here. We'll make a covenant and I'll do. But instead, at the call of his name, Samuel answered, Speak for thy servant heareth. Oh, and I'm going to tell you what, it might have started out fearful. It might have started out nervous. But by the time he got to thy servant hereth, I can believe that there's a rise in his voice. I can believe there's a boldness that arises that he begins to softly speak for thy servant hereth. Yes, Lord. You're calling me. My answer is yes, Lord. Hallelujah. If you read further on past where we read in this record of us, you'll find that it doesn't seem like Samuel was real prepared for what God had to say. In fact, it caused him to fear. The Bible says that he wasn't real certain about how it was going to go over when he delivered the message that God had given him. Yet when God spoke, Samuel, he affirmed, Yes. He committed himself. All it took was God to call his name. Samuel didn't know at that point that God would eventually use him in a great way. Samuel couldn't have known at that point in time just what God was going to do with him. He didn't know that he was going to become God's principal speaker to his people. He's just a boy. I'm just here to help him make the sacrifices. I'm here to clean up after the priest. I'm just here to take... And he says, You say yes, let me take care of the rest of the details. He had no idea that he'd be making a trip to Jesse's house and anointing the future greatest king that Israel would ever know. He didn't know that he would be mentioned by God in the Holy Scriptures on the same plane and the dignity as Moses himself. When God said He spoke of Moses and He spoke of Samuel, he had no idea that that's where he was going. He had no idea that he would be mentioned in Hebrews 11 in the list of all the heroes with all those people called upon him for the faith that he had. He didn't know all of these things. But none of that mattered in the beginning. The only thing that mattered is I'm going to deny myself, I'm going to listen to God, and I am willing to say, Yes, Lord. Now you may be in a place today that you've not yet begun to say, Yes, Lord. You may be in a place today where you feel you're unable to say, Yes, Lord. Because there comes that nervousness. I know it myself. There's a concern sometimes about what's going to be asked of me. There might be that concern, Am I even qualified for the call that God wants to put on me? And yet you know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, you have heard the voice of God. Maybe it's been once. Maybe it was twice. Maybe three times the Lord has called. And it could have been like Samuel, the boy ain't even listening to me. But the voice of God persisted, because he had a plan. He saw, he's young, he's got some experience, he knows the mechanics, but he really doesn't know why all this is going on. He doesn't understand the voice of God, but I'm going to give him the opportunity and I'm going to call his name again. God's looking for somebody to say, Yes, Lord. Not what will I do if no, just yes. God's making the call. God has already made the decision to reach out and ask. God made that decision. And if God has made that decision, I'm just going to tell you, you can trust God. Michelle, would you come to the piano, please, and get us a song? So tonight, just like at that night, as Samuel heard the voice of the Lord, he called his name personally. It wasn't a blanket call, whoever's listening, just come on this way. Nope. It was individual. Didn't come through the pastor. It didn't come through the ministers. It didn't come in a dream. It came from God Himself speaking. And he's just looking for somebody to say, Yes, Lord. That's all he needs to hear right now, OK? You don't have to figure it out. You don't have to write it all down and make the two columns, the pros and the cons. Don't worry about all of that. Your part right now is just to say, Yes, Lord. Will you stand with me tonight? Yes, Lord, God, I bless your name tonight. You have been calling. God, there's been some pushing off. There's been some denying that can't be God. There's been some hoping, not me. Lord, no matter how nervous we get, you persist. And I thank you. I thank you for calling me and giving me the opportunity to say yes. But tonight, right here in this house with our family, God, I believe you're calling. Tonight, you're reminding of that same call. And you're asking, just say yes. Just say yes, O Lord, I pray. Oh, maybe Eli prayed that night. Lord, say his name again. He's going to respond this time. Lord, I pray you'll deal tonight and work this out in Jesus' name. Amen. Only God can work this out for you. God's calling. It's time to say yes. Yes, Lord, with somebody. Somebody, go ahead. It's all He's asking. Just you and Him. I'm not going to speak the Word over somebody. I'm not going to lay hands on somebody and say, this is what God is saying to you. I'm allowing you to hear the voice of God yourself. God's looking for you to say yes, Lord. Would you come on up here? Would you go ahead and make those nervous steps and say yes, Lord? Yes, Lord. It may squeak out at first. It may be hard to say at first. But you say it, and there'll come that wonderful relief, the release of the soul that you're saying yes, Lord. I'm all yours. Do with me as you will. Whatever it is, whatever you say, I say tonight, yes, Lord. I'd love for somebody to step out. I'd love for somebody... Go ahead, come on. Come on out here. Just say it right here in front of everybody. I'm coming up and I'm saying yes. Tonight, I'm not putting it off anymore. He's called multiple times. I've heard His voice in the service. I've heard His voice at home. I've heard His voice when nobody else was around. And I really feel like God's calling on me. Tonight, I say yes, Lord. Speak for Thy servant here. I'm committed tonight. Would you come? Come on. Don't delay. Don't delay. Jonah could have said. Surely somebody else can do that. But it seems obvious to me there was no one. No one but Jonah. God would make a fish big enough to swallow a man, and spit him up on the shore just to get the message out. Oh, help tonight. When God calls, you respond. If we had ten visiting lost people in this place, we'd all be wishing they would respond. But what about us? It's just us. God sends forth a message. He says, I'm talking to you. Come and say yes, Lord. I'm yours. I'm yours. I'm not sure what you're asking of me, but I'm here to say yes. Alright, let's all come in. Let's begin to talk to God. And you, whom God's been calling your name, just say yes. Completely yes. My soul says yes. Oh, yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. From the bottom of my heart to the depths of my soul. Yes, Lord. Completely yes. My soul says yes. It's not my will, Lord, but thy will be done. It's no more I, but it's you, Christ, who lives inside. I give you everything, everything to you. I surrender completely through and through. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. From the bottom of my heart to the depths of my soul. Yes, Lord. Completely yes. My soul says yes. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. From the bottom of my heart to the depths of my soul. Yes, Lord. Completely yes. My soul says yes. Completely yes. My soul says yes. Oh, yes, Lord.
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