WEBVTT 00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:13.919 Ministering to the heart of Western Arkansas's River Valley for over 165 years, welcome to Chapter and First, the Bible Teaching Ministry of Fort Smith's First Baptist Church. 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:19.359 You'll find sermons and teachings from Pastor Greg, our ministry staff, and guest speakers. 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:21.280 Thank you for listening. 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:24.160 If you are a guest, my name is Matt Passmore. 00:00:24.239 --> 00:00:32.159 I am filling in for our pastor who today is out at the Chaffee campus and they're having a big deal after church. 00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:37.280 He's never really got to stay through the end of greeting people on their way out the door. 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:44.240 So he was staying today, so we kind of worked together, sat together, and kind of talked about how we're going to present this message. 00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:46.000 And I will tell you this. 00:00:48.079 --> 00:00:49.119 It's hard. 00:00:49.439 --> 00:00:51.039 Reading through the Bible. 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:56.159 I mean, we went through half of Judges into half of Samuel with Ruth in between. 00:00:56.320 --> 00:00:58.719 What part of that do you pick out to preach on? 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:00.799 I mean, we went through some power. 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:02.159 Ruth itself. 00:01:02.799 --> 00:01:06.079 Today's quiet time was David and Goliath. 00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:10.319 I mean, there's just, whoo, we can go, we there's all kinds of stuff. 00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:13.840 What about the part of Hannah crying out to the Lord, give me a son? 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:17.920 I mean, this is just, we are reading through, and I will just tell you this. 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:23.599 When you get caught up in it, man, it's powerful. 00:01:23.760 --> 00:01:25.200 I want to encourage you. 00:01:25.439 --> 00:01:29.040 If you are not doing the chronological Bible, you do not have to go back and catch up. 00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:29.599 Start with us. 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:30.719 We're in Samuel. 00:01:30.959 --> 00:01:34.719 Dive in with us, get into it, and start reading with us because it has been. 00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:41.280 We're studying in Sunday school, a lady in our Sunday school class just a second ago, who hardly ever says anything. 00:01:43.760 --> 00:01:47.680 She says, This is what I read this week. 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:51.599 And I'm gonna tell you, it's the whole Sunday school class was like. 00:01:51.920 --> 00:01:53.120 How did we miss that? 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:54.879 How powerful that was. 00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:57.519 So the Lord stirs. 00:01:57.680 --> 00:02:01.920 And I think more importantly, it's not the Bible chronological Bible reading we're doing. 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:02.719 You know what it is? 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:04.640 It's getting into God's word. 00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:17.759 You know, listen, we were singing this song, and and um the song just a second ago, I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered. 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:23.199 I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered, and that's going with what we're preaching on today. 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:25.120 Learning to hear from God. 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:28.319 Did you know learning to hear from God takes work? 00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:30.400 It's not easy. 00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:32.639 If it was, guess what? 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:35.280 This church would be full. 00:02:37.439 --> 00:02:42.240 I would go wherever I would go, and they'd go, man, that's a man of God. 00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:47.120 Not because of my title, but the way I carry myself. 00:02:47.599 --> 00:02:57.520 And so many times we get going, and listen, we want to hear from God, but we don't want to do sometimes what it takes to hear from God. 00:02:57.759 --> 00:02:58.879 Now, don't get me wrong. 00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:12.960 I know in my own life there's times I've been going the wrong path, and the Lord like slaps me in the head and says, I need you to hear this, but there's other times in my life that I've kind of pulled away from him and I'm having a hard time hearing him, not because he left, because I'm the one going away. 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:14.800 And so today we're gonna dive in. 00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:17.199 We're gonna be in 1 Samuel. 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:23.039 So if you'll take your Bible, open it to with me to 1 Samuel chapter 3. 00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:32.240 We're gonna talk today about one of the greatest stories. 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:35.919 Now, I say that every time I preach, every by every story in the Bible is great. 00:03:36.080 --> 00:03:39.759 This is one of my favorite, but um, and it just fell in here. 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:43.199 But let's pray as we as we're about to dive into God's word. 00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:45.039 Dear God, I come before you now. 00:03:46.479 --> 00:03:56.560 Humbled, that I even get a chance, opportunity to speak your word today. 00:03:56.879 --> 00:04:04.879 Lord, I ask you to help me not say anything that distracts from your word. 00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:16.560 I cry out to you as we sat here today, Lord, help us hear your word and what you have for each one of us in our own lives. 00:04:17.199 --> 00:04:18.480 Bless this time and your word. 00:04:18.639 --> 00:04:19.680 In Jesus' name I pray. 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:20.560 Amen. 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:22.560 Now, Samuel. 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:30.319 This is one of the stories as I grow up, is as I grew up as a kid, my dad would every now and then tell a Bible story, and this was one of my favorites. 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:34.639 So if I get into it and start acting like my dad, just bear with me. 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:36.720 It takes me back to kid, okay? 00:04:36.879 --> 00:04:37.600 Okay, here we go. 00:04:37.680 --> 00:04:38.240 Let's dive in. 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:41.839 We're in 1 Samuel 3, starting in verse 1. 00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:45.279 The boy Samuel served the Lord in Eli's presence. 00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:52.079 In those days, the word of the Lord was rare, and prophetic visions were not widespread. 00:04:52.160 --> 00:04:54.319 I want to just stop there just for a second. 00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:58.000 As I read that, there is a word right there that just jumps out. 00:04:58.160 --> 00:04:59.199 The word rare. 00:04:59.360 --> 00:05:05.279 Now, yesterday I was doing burgers, and my wife does not like that's not the rare we're talking about here. 00:05:05.519 --> 00:05:05.839 Okay? 00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:07.920 Rare. 00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:11.360 Not occurring very often. 00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:15.439 Very unusual. 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:17.600 So think of the word rare right here. 00:05:17.759 --> 00:05:19.120 Let me read this again. 00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:24.319 In those days, the word of the Lord was rare. 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:28.319 Isn't that a scary place to be? 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:31.279 But we see this, what we've been learning. 00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:32.800 We have seen this all through. 00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:35.839 As you're reading the Bible, the chronological Bible, we see this. 00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:43.920 The Lord would send a Moses to lead, and when Moses died, now we're into the judges, he would send a judge, and they would start following the Lord. 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:46.959 The judge would die, and then what would happen? 00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:51.600 They sought what they wanted to do. 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:54.240 And then they would get so bad that what? 00:05:54.319 --> 00:05:56.319 They had no choice but to cry out to the Lord again. 00:05:56.480 --> 00:05:57.360 The Lord would send a judge. 00:05:57.439 --> 00:05:58.800 So we're on this cycle, right? 00:05:58.959 --> 00:06:00.720 But here's what I've seen. 00:06:03.040 --> 00:06:14.000 Each time the judge would pass away or move on, it's like the people would get eviler and eviler. 00:06:14.319 --> 00:06:15.519 They ended judges. 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:23.120 Listen to this, they ended the book of Judges with just perversion. 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:31.279 And a civil war. 00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:36.079 Then we get into Samuel, and the first thing we see in Samuel is what? 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:42.879 Not only are the people evil now, Eli, the high priest's sons, are what? 00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:44.240 Perverted. 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:48.079 The temple itself is perverted. 00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:50.720 Not because of God, because what? 00:06:51.040 --> 00:06:52.000 Man has what? 00:06:52.959 --> 00:06:56.959 Turned for God and did things that they thought were right in their own eyes. 00:06:57.279 --> 00:06:58.959 So this is where we're at. 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:05.120 No wonder the Lord and his word was rare. 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:09.759 But then we also look at the very first of that. 00:07:09.920 --> 00:07:13.839 It says, the boy Samuel served the Lord in Eli's presence. 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:17.600 Samuel. 00:07:18.079 --> 00:07:20.879 Real quick, I want to tell you where Samuel came from. 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:28.399 Samuel's mom, Hannah, was without a child, and she would go to the temple and pray yearly. 00:07:28.639 --> 00:07:31.920 She cried out to the Lord, please give me a son. 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:39.439 She said, If you give me a son, I will give him back to you. 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:42.560 Not only a promise, but a vow. 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:43.759 Guess what? 00:07:44.079 --> 00:07:48.399 The Lord gave her a son, and she did what the Lord said. 00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:52.240 Or she did what she said she would for the Lord. 00:07:52.639 --> 00:07:54.240 Can you imagine this? 00:07:54.480 --> 00:08:05.199 At the age of three to five, she packs up her son Samuel, that the Lord she had cried out to, takes him to the temple, knocks on the door. 00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:13.120 Now I don't know, that's not in the Bible, but here's my son that I said I would give back to. 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:16.879 Eli, the high priest, takes him in. 00:08:17.439 --> 00:08:18.639 And then read it again. 00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:19.120 Listen. 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:22.639 The boy Samuel served the Lord in Eli's presence. 00:08:22.720 --> 00:08:33.039 We're going to see later that almost Eli had given up on his sons, and he was training Samuel. 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:46.000 So as we continue in verse 2, the day, one day, Eli, whose eyesight was failing, was lying in his usual place. 00:08:47.600 --> 00:08:49.120 So he's lying down. 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:53.440 Why in the world would Scripture say whose eyesight was failing? 00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:55.919 What does that have to do with anything in the story? 00:08:56.159 --> 00:08:57.440 Think about it just for a second. 00:08:57.519 --> 00:08:59.919 What does that have to do with anything in the story? 00:09:00.240 --> 00:09:02.240 But then you think about it, yeah. 00:09:02.799 --> 00:09:08.159 His eyesight, his physical eyesight was going. 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:10.799 But think about this. 00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:26.799 When we go back up and we read about the word of the Lord was rare, we see a lot of times in the Bible when the leaders, remember, he's the high priest, are not following the Lord. 00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:30.799 The Lord's word are rare. 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:40.320 This goes back to, I think it's a picture of not only is he physically blind, he's spiritually blinded. 00:09:40.480 --> 00:09:44.720 He's so blinded that he, the Lord already warned him, needs to discipline his sons. 00:09:44.799 --> 00:09:45.360 And guess what? 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:46.480 He won't do. 00:09:56.720 --> 00:09:58.240 And not the Lord. 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:12.639 And then in verse 3, before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was located. 00:10:13.120 --> 00:10:15.600 The thing that pops out right there is the ark of God. 00:10:15.679 --> 00:10:17.200 What is the ark of God? 00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:22.000 It was his throne. 00:10:23.039 --> 00:10:25.279 It was their way of this is who God is. 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:31.519 This the Ark of the covenant was where God rested. 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:32.879 Now think about this. 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:34.080 Samuel. 00:10:35.840 --> 00:10:36.879 Knock, knock. 00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:39.120 Here's my boy. 00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:40.480 Is now what? 00:10:40.799 --> 00:10:42.000 Sleeping where? 00:10:45.440 --> 00:10:52.720 About as close as you could get to the Lord. 00:10:53.679 --> 00:10:56.159 I mean, think about that just for a second. 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:01.840 His tasks in the temple that he was doing. 00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:07.519 He slept there because the lamp, the candle is on, and he needed to keep it. 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:09.759 If it started to go out, he kept it burning. 00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:11.120 It represented what? 00:11:12.559 --> 00:11:13.360 The Lord. 00:11:13.519 --> 00:11:17.360 When it was burning, it represented the Lord, and his job was to what? 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:20.320 Keep it burning. 00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:25.600 He was sitting in the Lord, as close as the Lord as you could get. 00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:29.440 Then let's continue in verse 4. 00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:34.320 Then the Lord called Samuel. 00:11:34.480 --> 00:11:35.919 That's how my dad did it. 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:42.159 And he answered, Here am I. 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:46.320 He ran to Eli and said, Here am I, you called me. 00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:48.720 I didn't call you, Eli replied. 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:50.320 Go back and lie down. 00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:52.159 So he went back and lied down. 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:55.519 Once again the Lord called, Samuel. 00:11:56.080 --> 00:12:00.799 Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, Here I am, you called me. 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:03.679 I did not call you, my son, he replied. 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:06.080 Go back and lie down. 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:15.679 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord because the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:18.720 Stop there just for a second. 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:27.039 How in the world could he be raised in a temple and God's word had not yet been revealed to him? 00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:31.279 Do you think it has anything to do with the blinded guy? 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:41.279 How in the world is he sleeping next or as close as he can to the ark? 00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:48.080 And he had not yet heard from the Lord. 00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:59.279 And then once again, for the third time, the Lord called, Samuel. 00:12:59.679 --> 00:13:00.320 He got up. 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:03.120 He went to Eli and said, Here I am, you called me. 00:13:03.279 --> 00:13:07.200 Then Eli understood that the Lord was calling the boy. 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:11.600 Took him a while, but he finally got it. 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:17.440 And Samuel said, or he said to Samuel, Go and lie down. 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:23.919 If he calls you, say, Speak, Lord, your servant is listening. 00:13:24.080 --> 00:13:27.200 So Samuel went down, laid down in his place. 00:13:27.840 --> 00:13:28.799 The Lord came. 00:13:28.879 --> 00:13:30.159 Now listen this time. 00:13:30.879 --> 00:13:34.399 The Lord came and stood there. 00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:39.919 And called as before. 00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:42.559 Samuel. 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:43.679 Samuel. 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:45.120 Two times this time. 00:13:45.360 --> 00:13:51.279 And Samuel responded, Speak, for your servant is listening. 00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:54.480 Wow. 00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:56.639 Just a quick little deal. 00:13:56.960 --> 00:13:58.240 Man, God is just. 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:01.759 He didn't just call him once. 00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:04.320 He didn't just call him twice. 00:14:04.960 --> 00:14:06.559 He called him four times. 00:14:06.639 --> 00:14:08.480 And on the fourth time, what did he do? 00:14:09.039 --> 00:14:11.519 He made his presence known. 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:18.879 The title of this lesson or this message was Learning to Hear from God. 00:14:19.279 --> 00:14:36.240 I think we can see in this passage right here that we read some things that we see that Samuel did on things we can get some things that we see that Samuel being willing to learn how to listen to God. 00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:40.159 I think the first lesson here we see. 00:14:41.519 --> 00:14:47.279 Focus the ears of your heart on hearing the Lord speak to you. 00:14:48.240 --> 00:14:51.360 What do I mean by focus the ears of your heart? 00:14:51.600 --> 00:14:56.080 Have you ever been sometime in your life that you wanted the Lord to speak to you? 00:14:56.399 --> 00:14:58.960 Lord, please, I need an answer. 00:15:00.879 --> 00:15:02.960 My finances are struggling, I need an answer. 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:06.080 The doctor gives me a report, Lord, I need an answer. 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:09.200 I've got two job opportunities, which what is a blessing? 00:15:09.279 --> 00:15:10.799 Which one do you want me to take? 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:13.919 When have you ever been there where, Lord, I need an answer? 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:18.000 And I'm crying out to the Lord, that's what we're talking about here. 00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:23.279 The idea of situating ourselves to hear from the Lord. 00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:28.879 I think there's a few uh, how do we set ourselves up to hear from the Lord? 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:34.399 I think the first one that we have to remember. 00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:43.440 We have the complete Bible, the inspired word of God, to study and to meditate. 00:15:45.519 --> 00:15:48.320 Listen to what 2 Timothy 3.16 says. 00:15:48.559 --> 00:16:04.639 All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:08.720 You're gonna have a hard time hearing from God if you're not reading God's word. 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:12.480 That is his number way to talk to you. 00:16:12.799 --> 00:16:15.279 His inspired word that is left for us. 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:24.720 Now, the other day I had a guy come in my office, this has been a while back, but he's sitting in my office and he says, I just feel like the Lord is, I can't, not around. 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:26.159 And he was struggling. 00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:32.879 He was broken, it wasn't prideful, he was crying, he was struggling because he's like, I do not hear the Lord, I don't even know. 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:38.960 And I asked this question When was the last time you read your Bible? 00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:40.879 You know what he told me? 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:43.360 I don't have time to read my Bible. 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:48.960 Now, oh, if we're not careful, we can be in that same situation, so I'm not throwing him under. 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:57.440 But listen, if you're not hearing from God, check on your Bible reading. 00:16:57.759 --> 00:17:02.480 Because that's the number one way that the Lord speaks to us. 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:07.440 I think another way that the Lord speaks to us is through people. 00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:13.359 Proverbs, we see it all the time about listening to wisdom. 00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:16.000 I think this is something in our life. 00:17:16.240 --> 00:17:18.079 Who is your mentor? 00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:23.519 When Samuel got called and didn't know what to do, what did he do? 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:25.200 He ran to his mentor. 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:41.279 I'll never forget when I was uh growing up, I was uh 16 years old, and um, I was at camp, and I was being a boy at camp. 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:43.519 I was there to have a good time. 00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:54.640 And I had a relationship with our student pastor, and my student pastor comes to me and he goes, Hey, you're uh I'm very disappointed in you. 00:17:55.839 --> 00:18:05.119 We come to camp to have a good time, but we are here to listen to the Lord speak, and you are distracting everybody around you. 00:18:05.440 --> 00:18:06.640 Oh, it was hard to hear. 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:08.480 In fact, I was ticked. 00:18:08.799 --> 00:18:10.240 I wasn't just mad. 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:15.519 I was like, who in the world gave you the right to tell me what I should do at camp? 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:16.160 You know what I mean? 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:19.440 I was just I was angry because I thought, but you know what? 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:20.960 I knew he was right. 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:36.240 Thursday night at camp is when the Lord called me that year to special service. 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:48.640 I didn't know what that was at the time, but if it wasn't for my mentor calling me out, pointing me the way I should go, the Lord could have still called, I'm not saying that, but do you see where I'm going with this? 00:18:48.880 --> 00:18:55.200 The idea of being able to because of him focus on the Lord. 00:18:55.279 --> 00:19:01.519 How many of those people do you have in your life that I read scripture, I don't understand it. 00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:02.880 Hey, what does this say? 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:06.000 Hey, I'm going through this hard time. 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:07.359 What do you think? 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:11.759 Because we live in a culture right now, it's easy to do. 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:13.039 Man, I'm having a problem. 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:14.960 Let me see what Google says. 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:20.319 What are people saying on Instagram about that? 00:19:21.599 --> 00:19:22.400 And you know what? 00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:25.119 There's a lot of times we'll go to a counselor, and guess what? 00:19:25.359 --> 00:19:27.440 God's word is never spoken about. 00:19:31.519 --> 00:19:40.799 If we're getting counsel, please, I beg you, make sure your counselor is in God's word. 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:43.200 Okay? 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:53.519 Then we also see, I think, another way that we can hear from uh that uh that God uses as we set up to hear from him, and that is prayer. 00:19:54.400 --> 00:19:56.720 Praying for wisdom. 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:07.200 Now, if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given to him. 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:08.640 I want to encourage you this. 00:20:08.720 --> 00:20:10.799 There's a lot of us that do a lot of praying. 00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:18.960 And if we're not careful, a lot of our praying is, Lord, help so-and-so get better, help so-and-so get better, help so-and-so get better, help so-and-so get better. 00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:21.039 And there is nothing wrong with that. 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:28.000 But there is a time where we cry out, Lord, give me wisdom to be who you've called me to be. 00:20:28.559 --> 00:20:34.240 In men's discipleship, we're talking about the guy leading, it was talking about his prayer life, and he said this. 00:20:34.559 --> 00:20:42.880 He said, I've trained myself that when I get an email or a text that I don't know how to respond to, you've been there? 00:20:43.119 --> 00:20:51.839 Like some complaint or whatever, he says, Before I reply, Lord, give me wisdom as I speak back into this. 00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:58.079 He said, I'll have a big meeting or a counseling session, and before I go into the door, I do what? 00:20:58.319 --> 00:21:05.279 Lord, give me wisdom to tell the people what they need to hear, what I need to encourage. 00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:11.759 You know, I think sometimes we do time praying, but there's we lack a lot of crying out to the Lord to what? 00:21:12.079 --> 00:21:13.279 Give us wisdom. 00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:19.119 And I also think a lot of time in our prayer, myself included, that I'm doing a drive-by prayer service. 00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:23.680 I'm telling God everything I want him to know, and then when I'm done, I'm done praying. 00:21:23.839 --> 00:21:28.640 I think there's gotta be times in our life where we set still during our prayer. 00:21:29.440 --> 00:21:34.160 How did the Lord call Samuel in the quiet and the steel? 00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:37.440 We can get so busy that what? 00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:41.839 We're telling all the God things we think he should know, and then we don't take time to what? 00:21:42.079 --> 00:21:44.000 Give him a chance to talk back. 00:21:49.359 --> 00:21:51.039 Okay, lesson number two. 00:21:53.039 --> 00:21:58.559 So the first one is focus the ears of our heart on hearing the Lord speak to you. 00:21:58.640 --> 00:22:04.799 The second one is Present yourself as a listener to hear from the Lord. 00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:06.400 You say, Well, those sound a lot alike. 00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:08.640 Well, let me tell you my point of lesson two. 00:22:09.920 --> 00:22:15.759 My wife is the greatest multitasker of anyone I ever known. 00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:19.759 She can have five tasks going on and they're all getting done. 00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:22.400 The other day I call her on the phone. 00:22:22.720 --> 00:22:26.400 I'm talking to her, and I can tell she's doing other tasks. 00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:30.720 And I'm talking to her on the phone, and I know she's not listening to me. 00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:33.039 And so I say something bizarre. 00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:35.519 And she goes, Yeah, that's good. 00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:38.880 And I said, You're not listening to me, are you? 00:22:39.119 --> 00:22:45.440 Now listen, if you look at that, she was hearing me, but she wasn't listening to me. 00:22:46.559 --> 00:22:58.079 I think we, there's a, there's a, we see in Samuel, the first three times, he had no idea the Lord was calling on him. 00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:01.920 And then on the fourth time, what did he say? 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:05.759 Think about how hard what he said was. 00:23:06.799 --> 00:23:08.319 Speak, Lord. 00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:12.880 Your servant is listening. 00:23:14.720 --> 00:23:19.119 He heard him for three times, but it wasn't until he was ready to what? 00:23:19.759 --> 00:23:27.920 Listen that he called out, Speak, Lord, your servant is listening. 00:23:34.000 --> 00:23:38.960 A heart willing to listen and obey is the key to hearing from God. 00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:42.079 Then it takes us to lesson three. 00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:43.200 Lesson three. 00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:47.039 Commit to respond to what the Lord says to you. 00:23:49.920 --> 00:23:51.440 James 1.22. 00:23:51.599 --> 00:23:52.960 Listen to what it says. 00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:56.400 And if you got a pen, write James 1.22 down. 00:23:57.440 --> 00:24:04.559 Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourself, but do what it says. 00:24:06.319 --> 00:24:08.160 Let me say that one more time. 00:24:08.880 --> 00:24:13.599 Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourself, but do what it says. 00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:15.680 How simple is that? 00:24:16.559 --> 00:24:18.319 But how hard is that? 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:22.880 Here's the crazy thing about Samuel. 00:24:22.960 --> 00:24:26.480 Once the Lord calls him and he says, Speak, Lord, your servant is listening. 00:24:26.640 --> 00:24:27.200 Guess what? 00:24:27.440 --> 00:24:29.279 He gets some bad news. 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:35.440 God tells him, I'm about to kill Eli's sons. 00:24:36.960 --> 00:24:38.960 Eli's gonna be gone. 00:24:43.839 --> 00:24:45.599 Can you imagine getting that word? 00:24:45.680 --> 00:24:48.079 And it's like, okay, I'm gonna go back to sleep. 00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:58.319 He wakes up in the morning, the Bible says, you can read it, he goes about his normal duties, opening doors, cleaning stuff, making sure it was ready, and then here it comes. 00:24:58.720 --> 00:24:59.359 Eli. 00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:03.920 So, what did God tell you last night? 00:25:06.319 --> 00:25:10.160 Samuel at that moment could have been just like Eli and said, This. 00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:12.319 Well, you know what? 00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:13.839 He said you're doing a good job. 00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:15.279 Keep up the good work. 00:25:17.839 --> 00:25:19.119 He didn't know what God said. 00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:20.559 You see what I'm saying? 00:25:21.200 --> 00:25:23.039 Probably one of the hardest things he ever did. 00:25:23.119 --> 00:25:23.920 Now listen to this. 00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:26.480 He confronted the high priest. 00:25:28.319 --> 00:25:36.960 Honestly, if you read with what he told Eli, Eli could have put Samuel to death. 00:25:39.039 --> 00:25:45.519 Sometimes we don't realize the power of what was said and what was done right there, but he said exactly what the Lord told him to say. 00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:47.519 And you know what Eli said? 00:25:47.759 --> 00:25:52.720 Who, by the way, the Lord was rare at this moment, in his life even. 00:25:54.319 --> 00:25:57.039 He said, the Lord will do what his Lord wants to do. 00:25:57.440 --> 00:25:58.640 He knew. 00:26:04.319 --> 00:26:11.039 When I was um, before I got into the ministry, I taught school for seven years. 00:26:11.839 --> 00:26:13.920 And I loved every minute of it. 00:26:15.039 --> 00:26:16.400 I loved to get up in the morning. 00:26:16.480 --> 00:26:17.759 I was gonna go make a difference. 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:20.960 I mean, I really truly loved coaching. 00:26:22.400 --> 00:26:24.960 I'd finally got into the high school. 00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:30.799 I was the head baseball coach at Lawton High, coaching football. 00:26:30.880 --> 00:26:33.279 I mean, I was having a ball. 00:26:34.079 --> 00:26:36.319 And the Lord started stirring in me. 00:26:36.799 --> 00:26:39.599 I had this lady from my previous church. 00:26:40.640 --> 00:26:42.720 I was doing student ministry, FCA. 00:26:42.880 --> 00:26:46.319 I had a lady from my previous church. 00:26:46.559 --> 00:26:49.839 She called me and she says, We're looking for a children's pastor. 00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:52.480 And in my mind I chuckled. 00:26:53.680 --> 00:27:02.720 Children, she goes, We're looking for a children's pastor, and your name came up. 00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:06.640 I feel like the Lord has gifted you in some ways to do this. 00:27:06.720 --> 00:27:08.880 And I said, I'm not interested. 00:27:10.400 --> 00:27:12.160 And then she said this. 00:27:12.799 --> 00:27:14.480 Why don't you pray about it? 00:27:19.119 --> 00:27:22.160 I kind of laughed, talked to my wife. 00:27:22.960 --> 00:27:24.640 She goes, Why don't you pray about it? 00:27:24.880 --> 00:27:27.759 Because the Lord was already stirring in some things. 00:27:29.200 --> 00:27:40.079 So my dad told me growing up, my dad's a pastor, and anytime I have a big decision in life, he says, Hey, I think it's you need to fast over that. 00:27:40.880 --> 00:27:44.480 And I'll never forget, deep down I was like, I really don't want to fast. 00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:47.839 I really just want to say no and just continue what I was doing. 00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:52.400 But I needed to know for sure what direction the Lord wanted me to do to go. 00:27:53.519 --> 00:27:55.920 And here's how my dad encouraged me to fast. 00:27:56.160 --> 00:27:59.119 Right, wrong, or indifferent, this is the way my dad encouraged me. 00:27:59.359 --> 00:28:03.119 That I would start off with a cry to the Lord. 00:28:03.359 --> 00:28:07.920 Lord, I am not going to eat until you give me an answer. 00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:12.799 And I will tell you this in my fasting, the Lord never answered on the first day. 00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:20.000 I think sometimes he wants to know, is it real? 00:28:21.440 --> 00:28:25.440 So day one went on, day two went on, day three went on, and I'm getting panicked. 00:28:27.279 --> 00:28:28.880 But here's what it did. 00:28:30.319 --> 00:28:35.680 Instead of my meals, lunch, or breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I would take find time to just read my Bible. 00:28:35.839 --> 00:28:37.359 Just kept reading what I was reading. 00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:41.599 My dad said, the one thing you want to do is manipulate God's word, just keep reading where you're reading. 00:28:41.759 --> 00:28:43.920 So I was just reading through that, stopping there. 00:28:44.079 --> 00:28:48.640 And then I was told this when you felt hungry, it reminds you to pray. 00:28:48.880 --> 00:28:51.039 By the third day, I was praying all day long. 00:28:51.359 --> 00:28:59.279 Mind you, during that time I was out mowing yards, and so it gave me a lot of time to, you know, in the summer to and I'm praying. 00:28:59.440 --> 00:29:04.079 And I'm crying out to the Lord, Lord, can you please, Lord, shut this down, really is what I was praying. 00:29:04.160 --> 00:29:06.799 But Lord, I'm willing to listen to you. 00:29:07.519 --> 00:29:14.240 And as I was reading through in the book in the book of Proverbs, it talked about being around wise people and in the coaching. 00:29:14.319 --> 00:29:21.599 I was just, and as soon as I read this passage of Scripture, I knew the Lord called me to be that children's pastor. 00:29:22.079 --> 00:29:26.720 So I apply at the church, I interview, I get the job. 00:29:26.960 --> 00:29:28.960 Now, right now I have two jobs. 00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:33.279 I have the children's pastor's job, I still have my teaching job. 00:29:34.079 --> 00:29:37.519 Those of you in education, it was like August the 1st. 00:29:37.920 --> 00:29:40.319 School started in about two weeks. 00:29:40.640 --> 00:29:43.519 So I went to the church and I'm like, man, I'm struggling with this. 00:29:43.680 --> 00:29:45.839 I don't want to be disloyal. 00:29:46.640 --> 00:29:48.960