 Luke. Well today we're in chapter 3 here in First Samuel. We're going to be looking at the entire chapter and it relates to the call of Samuel and we'll be looking at that as we go through this today. So we'll read verses 1 through 10 and we'll get into our study. First Samuel chapter 3 beginning at verse 1 we're looking at the call of Samuel. 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 lying down in his palace 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 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 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 my son lie down again. 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 rose and went to Eli and said here I am for you did call. Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy 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 speak for your servant hears now as we open up chapter three here in first Samuel as we look at verse one notice with me as he begins here he simply says now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli now when he says the boy that word boy is an interesting word it's actually used again in chapter 17 verse 33 there the word boy is translated youth it's when David is referred to as being simply a youth or a boy but it gives us some insight into how that word is used it speaks of somebody in their young teenage years and so we know that at this point here in chapter three verse one that Samuel is probably in his middle teens by this time he's probably somewhere around 15 he's in young adulthood now notice as it says it though it says the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli so it tells us that he had duties and obligations he was somebody serving in the tabernacle and he was an assistant to a man by the name of Eli but he goes on to say the word of the Lord was rare in those days there was no widespread revelation so it gives to us the spiritual condition of the nation of Israel during this time he says the word of the Lord was rare that word rare speaks of being precious or scant God wasn't speaking that often and not that much there's no widespread revelation when you look into the history of Israel when God began to move with that nation God had made a statement to the nation that he would speak to them and he did so through prophets in Numbers in chapter 12 verse 6 in the Old Testament book of Numbers it says that the Lord said here now my words if there's a prophet among you I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision I speak to him in a dream and so prophets were individuals God was using to communicate his mind to people now the prophets would be informed of his will and then the prophets would instruct the people but there is something necessary for them and that is for the people to have a heart to receive what God is saying unbelief and rebellion would cause the Lord to withdraw from communicating his word to them and that's why we read that the word of the Lord was rare in those days it's because of unbelief and rebellion they were not listening to what he had to say so the result was it was rare there's no widespread revelation they were indifferent to the things that God wanted to say now Samuel basically is is right in a similar time just just a little after the book of judges in all the events of the book of judges and when you look into the book of judges you see what was taking place and it gives you some insight into what was happening in the nation of Israel because the nation of Israel actually went through various cycles that you can actually see written for us in in judges and I'm going to read to you out of judges chapter 2 to highlight this and develop this introduction judges chapter 2 because in the book of judges chapter 2 this is what it says it says when all that generation had been gathered to their fathers another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which he had done for Israel then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Ba'al and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers who had brought them out of the land of Egypt and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them and they bowed down to them and they provoked the Lord to anger they forsook the Lord and served Ba'al and the asterisks and the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel so he delivered them into the hands of plunderers who despoiled them he sold them into the hands of their enemies all around so that they could no longer stand before their enemies wherever they went out the hand of the Lord was against them for calamity as the Lord had said and as the Lord had sworn to them they were greatly distressed nevertheless the Lord raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them yet they would not listen to their judges but they played the harlot with other gods bowed down to them they turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked in obeying the commandments of the Lord they did not do so and when the Lord raised up judges for them the Lord was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge for the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed them and harassed them and it came to pass when the judge was dead that they reverted behaved more corruptly than their fathers by following other gods to serve them and bow down to them they did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn ways and so what you see in the history of the judges which is leading up to the time of Samuel is that there were there were cycles that the nation would go through they would they would forsake God and then they would enter into sin they ended up serving idols they were oppressed by their enemies then they would repent and cry out to God they'd be delivered once again begin to serve him the judge would die they'd revert once again into idolatry and the cycle would once again begin and that's what was taking place all the way up to the time of first Samuel when God called a judge by the name of Gideon we all know the story of Gideon when God called this judge Gideon Gideon was hiding out for fear of his enemies and he was threshing some wheat in a secure place so that nobody would see where he was at when the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said hail thou mighty man of God and Gideon looking at this one says to him if I'm a mighty man of God then where are all the miracles that our fathers have told us about where are all those things that God had done in the past we're not seeing those things today and the reality of the reason is is because Israel continued in sin it would move into idolatry it was not listening to the things that God had to say and as a result would be under the hand of God's judgment and God's chastening and and that happened then and that kind of thing can happen today people say well listen you know I pray and God doesn't answer I asked God to move and he doesn't answer why not it's because we go through cycles even as a nation no we're not the nation of Israel no we're not identical but we do similar things we have that episode of 911 and and and churches are filled with people who are praying and asking God for help and for mercy but are we still there are we there now no what happened we go into the cycle we we go to church we're afraid churches are filled up on a Sunday what are we going to do we're moving to war but after a while we get used to it it's business as usual and we go right back to the nonsense that we're doing and even get worse in the next cycle that's what happens and then people say how come God doesn't answer prayer and how come God isn't moving like Gideon said where's the God of my my fathers who did so much the things that I've heard of how come why aren't we seeing these things it's because the cycle of sin is upon us and and and we're not listening to the voice of the Lord well that continued on to the days of Samuel and how Samuel is in a time when the voice of the Lord isn't being heard it simply says the word of the Lord was rare in those days there was no widespread revelation sin and rebellion had made hearing the word of the Lord rare in those days and yet it's during that time that God establishes a line of prophets that he might reveal his will to the nation you see the priesthood had grown so ungodly that the Lord began to speak through prophets and he used the priests he used the prophets and he would even go so far as to use the kings to communicate to the nation and as we look at Messiah we know that Jesus is a prophet priest and king and so it's all foreshadowing what God was going to do through that one who is referred to as Messiah Jesus himself and so he's moving now and he's going to be speaking through Samuel who will be a prophet now it says in verse 2 it came to pass at that time while Eli was lying down in his place when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see in other words he was old and he had cataracts his vision is now clouded he's lying down but his eyes are clouded it says in verse 3 before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was that just tells us the time you see what they would do is they had a menorah it was a seven lamp candlestick that would be filled with oil that provided light they would light that candlestick at twilight it would continue to burn all through the night so this simply tells us that this is an event that's taking place during the night Samuel's lying down he's asleep that's when verse 4 the Lord called Samuel and he answered here I am now as he hears this voice he ran to Eli he said here I am you called me he said I didn't call lie down again he went and lay down the Lord called yet again Samuel so Samuel rose went to Eli said here I am you called me he answered I did not call my son lie down again and so Samuel's asleep he's awakened by a voice now something interesting is he's probably around 15 years old but notice his response because his response reveals his character you see he was there to be a servant to Eli he hears the voice of Eli he's immediately out of bed and he runs to him he says you called because he knows that Eli can't see he's there to minister to him he's thinking that Eli's calling him well Eli says I didn't call you go back to bed he goes back to bed a second time he hears the voice runs back into the room now how many of you had a 15 year old who would get up and say did you call daddy I don't think so so this reveals something here about this young man's character his quick response was I'm here to serve you but both times he's told you need to go back to bed now it gives us insight into verse seven when it says Samuel did not yet know the Lord nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him he didn't have his mantle handed to him yet he didn't have relationship with God in this deep and personal way yet he was aware of God in very basic sense and and according to that he was busy serving him but this was his personal encounter with God this is where God is calling him and speaking to him this is where he gets to know God in a very deep and personal way when you read the book of Job Job is a man that in the first chapters referred to by God as as being a man who hates evil God said I don't have anybody else like like Job in the entire you know planet this man fears me and hates evil and that's God's declaration concerning Job and you see that from chapter one and then you see the events that take place in his life in chapters one and two and then chapter three flowing on you see his comforters who come the various things that Job goes through and you read the book of Job all the way up to chapter 42 now God has begun to speak to Job and has begun to ask ask him questions he says I'm going to ask you questions seeing that you've been asking me gird yourself like a man and answer if you can and God begins to speak to him and by the time you get to chapter 42 Job has a response it's found in verse five he says I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear but now my eyes see you I find it interesting to note that Job is declared by God in chapter one to be one who fears him and hates evil and then I have nobody like him and yet he'd been walking by faith and not by sight by chapter 41 42 when God is revealing himself to him he says I heard of you and I followed that which I knew but now I have a personal encounter with you I heard of you with the hearing of my ear now I see you with the scene of my eye he goes on to say and I abhor myself in in sackcloth and ashes and I put my hand over my mouth who am I who have spoken to you in such a way see so in Samuel's case he's aware of who God is he's growing in favor with man and with God and yet now God is breaking into his private space and speaking to him and he's becoming aware of who God is now in verse eight it says the Lord called Samuel again the third time he arose and went to Eli and said here I am for you did call me Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy 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 instead and called as at other times Samuel Samuel and Samuel answered speak for your servant hears now this is great advice this is the third time and by now Eli realizes that God is speaking to Samuel so he says listen go lay down in your room and wait the Lord is going to speak to you once more you know sometimes the best place to hear the voice of the Lord is when you're just silently waited on him in this particular case he says go back to your room and wait the Lord is going to speak to you and that's what he does it reminds me of the psalmist in Psalm 62 verse one where he said truly my soul silently waits for God from him comes my salvation you see this is a young man who grew up in the most holy place that you can imagine and he needs now at this point to be trained to respond properly this is a young man who right around the age of three or so was dedicated to full-time service and grew up as a three-year-old up until the young age of 15 or so at this point here he grew up in a place where he saw service as unto the Lord yeah he saw the the bad he saw what the sons of Eli were like he undoubtedly saw the things that he that that they did but he also saw the good and he chose to follow the Lord and to serve Eli and God was moving in this young man's life and so he says to him I want you to go and I want you to just lie quiet quietly and wait and when the voice of the Lord once again speaks to you respond by simply saying speak for your servant hears you need to respond with humility you need to respond with submission you need to respond with obedience you need to be aware of the fact that it's God who's speaking to you your upbringing has prepared you to be receptive when he speaks I believe that a home filled with spiritual life creates a receptivity to the things of the Lord I believe that children who are surrounded by prayer by faith by service to God and a commitment to the things of the Lord are being prepared to hear when God speaks to them and those kids who have no undergirding of God's word will have no filter to develop spiritual discernment and will not recognize a voice when God is speaking to them through his word or through a minister through prayer they're not going to be able to recognize the things that God has to say I wanted to develop that in my kids I don't know how successful I was frankly I hope that I was from the time my children were very small small enough to sit and listen and I'm talking about them beginning at the age of about two as their dad I gave them devotions as their dad I gave them devotions every night of the week as a matter of fact my kids had devotions as they were young into the teen years five days out of the week the only days that I didn't personally give them devotions were on Wednesdays and Sunday nights and that's because they were here in church so their entire young life into their early teens into their later teens they had devotions my kids would would would come into the front room I would have them come at a certain time just prior to them going to bed I have them seated in front of me from the time they were very small and as they would be seated there I'd have them in a kind of a semicircle in front of me I'd sit down on the carpet and my wife Marie would be next to me and and the kids would kind of you know be talking and picking on each other whatever they felt like doing at that moment and I had the Bible and I would I would sit down with the Bible in my hand and I would sit down and I'd have the Bible on my lap and I'd let them talk for a moment kind of get their nervous energy out and then this is what I would do I would pick up the Bible and I would open it up like this that's all I did and I would make sure they saw what I was doing I would just open the Bible like that let them see and I'd put it on my lap because I had trained them as children when that word is open you listen because they'll be talking and they'd be doing all that they do and then I started out by saying kids I'm going to open the Bible and when daddy opens the Bible I'm going to read God's word it's time for you to be quiet because we're going to read God's word together and they learned that so it got to the point that I would just come in and I would sit down and they'd all be settled around me I'd lift up the Bible and I'd hold it open and they would become quiet I actually learned that kind of thing from my mom my mom didn't teach me the Bible what my mom taught me was this when your father speaks you listen and so when my dad would speak in my brother and I even to when I was 50 years old when my dad went home to be with the Lord even up to 50 and I'd already been his pastor for 27 years but when I at the age of 50 was there in the house with my dad and my brother and I would be teasing and laughing and all when dad would open his mouth to the day he died when my dad opened his mouth his sons got quiet and we listened because dad was saying something important we were taught to do that as children as bad as I went through some periods in my life and was a monster in many ways when my dad spoke I was taught to listen and I wanted my children to learn that when his their dad speaks it's important and when the word of God is open it's important and I wanted them to hear the word of God and no I didn't teach them 45 minute Bible studies with an offering in worship I didn't do that what I did is I would find a passage we went through a gospel I would read four or five verses and I would give them the heart of what that meant and I'd say let's pray and I'd send them to bed and I did that every day of their young life and I did that because I wanted them to hear when God speaks I wanted them to know that God has a voice and that he speaks through his word and I wanted them to be able to discern that when somebody else was speaking in the name of God when somebody else was saying something about God I wanted them to be equipped to know whether that's God's voice or the enemy's voice and the way they learned that is by being taught God's word and and Samuel was somebody who was raised in an environment that was holy even though Eli was a failure and it came to raising his kids yet he did have a heart in many ways for God and and and Samuel was there as he was learning the things and that's how it works and so he was there raising the most holy environment that would be possible and he's being told what you need to do is you need to listen now it's interesting how it says it here it says it in verse nine how Eli says to Samuel lie down it shall be if he calls you that you must say speak Lord for your servant hears Samuel went and laid down in his place the Lord came stood called as at other times Samuel Samuel Samuel answered speak for your servant hears when he says speak for your servant hears that word hears is an important word you know there's the ability for me to listen and to hear something and and not really be concentrating on what's being said it's possible and you know this to be hearing somebody speak to you and you see their mouth moving but you're not really listening that happens all the time it happens here in church and you know that and I do too the pastor speaks and you just see mouth moving but you're thinking and I'm going to get out of here because I'm going to go watch the game I mean that happens I understand that there were times when my dad I did look at him and there were times that his mouth would be moving but I would be thinking about what am I going to do in a moment I understand that but in this particular case that word here you might want to score this the word here means to listen with the heart to obey when he in other words is speaking to God when God says Samuel and and Eli says say speak for your servant hears that word hears that he chooses to use to speak for your servant is listening with the heart to obey you speak to me that I might do what pleases you that's what servants do and that's what believers do and that's what we have been called to do Jesus in Luke chapter 8 verse 18 said take heed how you hear what manner are you receiving are you listening for obedience are you hearing yes so I can do Jesus said be careful how you listen you see in the book of Proverbs in chapter 2 verses 3 through 5 the writer said if you cry out for discernment lift up your voice for understanding if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God there needs to be this heart of willingness I want to know the things of God I am willing to search them out when God speaks I'm willing to pursue them I want to embrace them I want to have them it's interesting how the the writer says cry out lift up seek her search for her then he says you will understand he says then you will find the knowledge of God and so there's this heart when I go when I hear a bible study I go in with that attitude I say God speak because your servant's listening I want to know I want to hear you because I want my life to be be formed and fashioned by you and I want to do the things that please you and and I want to hear what your word has to say concerning that so that when I hear it it's not just an acquisition of information it's not just a growth in intellectual knowledge I want this to be something that is practically applied in my life so that that I bless others and I'm being blessed by you and and I'm demonstrating a heart of obedience and so I do want to search and I do want to seek and I do want to find because those are the things that are going to lead to the pleasures in life that really count for eternity you see and so he's being taught that so Samuel hears the voice of the Lord in verse 10 and he answers speak for your servant hears I'm listening well in verse 11 the Lord said to Samuel behold I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle in 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 and therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever God tells Samuel that he's going to carry out the judgment that he had already informed Eli about it's interesting how he says in verse 11 I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle it's kind of like when somebody comes up and is going to slap them on the ears like you clap your ears on their head they're ringing the shock and the pain and that's what he's speaking about I'm doing something that is so severe that people will be shocked with horror and pain I'm going to be bringing judgment that will not be stopped and it will not be removed and no amount of sacrifice or offering will remove what I have determined to do he says at verse 13 I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows because his sons made themselves vile he did not restrain them therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever there's nothing they can do listen when God closes the door that's it there's nothing that can be done to open that door when the person gets to the point where God says the door is now closed that door is closed and they've reached a point of no return when you read the book of Genesis there's a man we all know by the name of Noah Noah is there finding grace in the sight of God and God says I'm going to do something I'm going to bring judgment on the earth and he says I'm not going to strive with man his day shall be 120 years so God calls Noah and says to Noah build an ark there'll be a certain amount of animals that enter into the ark but until that point Peter tells us Noah was a preacher of repentance he's a righteous man so I don't know it doesn't speak concerning his prophetic ministry in terms of him going out and preaching and all but we know through his actions his activities he built an ark he built an ark in a place where there wasn't a lot of water and it didn't rain during that time when you read Genesis it says that a mist would rise in would actually water the ground there was a water belt that surrounded the earth that God was about to puncture and it was going to actually rain and that's where the flood was going to come from and so ultimately for 120 years or so we know that Noah's out there building an ark doing whatever God had called him to do and his neighbors undoubtedly had been witness to undoubtedly had been told concerning what was about to take place but time passed and they didn't react and then ultimately the Bible in Genesis chapter 7 verse 16 says that God told no it's time to get into that ark and it says those that entered male and female of all flesh went in as God had commanded him and it goes on to say and the Lord shut him in the Lord closed the door why well we really don't know all the reasons why other than the opportunity is closed and God closed the door I suspect that Noah who had relationships with these people friends and all that were surrounding him would have had a heart to see them not destroyed not flood not drowned not caught in judgment I wonder if it's possible that that they could have come to the ark and they could have begun to pound on the side of it and screamed out for him to open the door and let them in I I wonder if he could have heard that I I wonder if if Noah could possibly have have hearing that and and fearing for them if he could have been possibly moved to want to open up that door but the fact is that when God closes a door no man can open it and there was no way that they were getting in their time had come they had plenty of opportunity and they failed to respond and as a result of that they were caught in judgment there comes a time when God has spoken over and over and over again to a person's life when it is over and that's it and God said listen he says I told Eli that I was bringing judgment on him for what he's done and no amount of sacrifice or offering is going to change a thing and that's it well verse 15 Samuel laid down until morning and opened the doors at the house of the Lord and Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision Eli called Samuel and said Samuel my son he answered Samuel's not here no he said here I am and he said what is the word that the Lord spoke to you please do not hide it for me God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all the things that he said to you Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him and he said it's the Lord let him do what seems good to him Samuel slept until morning God up went about his duties including opening the door so people could enter and act sit there at that tent of meeting but I'm sure that Samuel didn't want to tell Eli what the Lord had told him who wants to bring that kind of news to somebody that you love who wants to be the person who walks up and says the door is close for you God is bringing judgment and that's all there is to you who wants to be a bringer of bad news now some people seem to like bringing bad news but most of us don't most of us don't we want to bring a good word it's like Proverbs 25 25 as cold water to a weary soul so as good news from a far country we prefer bringing the good over the bad anytime and he doesn't want to have to bring this but Eli says you need to tell me and don't hold anything back you need to say what you've heard and tell me clearly I want to know it all so Samuel according to verse 18 told him everything hid nothing from him Eli knows that God is keeping his word to him and Eli simply resigns himself to it it's like lamentations 339 why should any living man complain when punished for his sins you see what happened is Eli neglected his sons there are various forms of neglect we can neglect to tell our kids we love them we can neglect to discipline them properly we can neglect spending time with our families we can neglect to to feed them properly or clothe them properly there are various forms of neglect but the worst form of neglect is to neglect their spiritual lives to not bring spiritual discipline into their lives because that is an eternal neglect that has eternal consequences to neglect disciplining our children in the ways of the Lord has an eternal consequence in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 4 Paul said fathers do not provoke your children to wrath but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord he didn't say mothers do that he said fathers do that fathers you have the responsibility why because you have a tremendous influence in the life of that child you as a father are influencing that child in a way that even mom doesn't no matter how important mom is and she is so important dad has a different role and brings a different influence into life that child and that child sees things in a father that he will never see she will never see in her mother and that that man has a responsibility before God and to his children to bring them up in the nurturing admonition of God that's my responsibility I who am a father that's my responsibility and I know my influence is incredibly great on my children I know that it wasn't that long ago when I spoke concerning people having heroes and I had mentioned heroes and how how people have that and I went into my office after service just a few weeks ago now and on my screen my computer screen was a post-it and one of my sons had written you are my hero heroes exist in the life of our children and we fathers have a tremendous influence that we bring on our children's lives and influence that we often do not understand and realize they watch the way that we walk they want to comb their hair like we comb ours they want to dress kind of like their dad they they they want to be like you and this is something that a lot of men don't understand a lot of men don't understand that they watch you and they want to be like you I remember my little David when he was maybe three or four years old he and I were standing outside in front of a store I was waiting for somebody and I had my hands in my pocket and I always lean over I just was kind of leaning just waiting and then I looked down and there's my four-year-old and I noticed him looking up and he had his hands in his pocket just like I did and was leaning like me and I thought boy it looks like he's mimicking me so I remember just shifting and putting my hands behind me and just twisting and looking the other way then I looked down and there's my little guy he's got his hands behind him and he's looking the other way and it was early on that I began to realize that they want to be like you you have a tremendous influence and responsibility in the life of that kid in the life of that child in a way that even mama does not have if mama goes to church the kids may or may not go when they get older when daddy goes to church overwhelmingly the kids follow them overwhelmingly the kids follow the lead of the father not only your your kids I who am now grandpa my my Josiah when I'm relaxing at home I always take my shoes off I hardly ever wear shoes except when I'm teaching on Sunday I just don't like to wear shoes so I wear sandals or I go barefoot and so he came over to spend the night yesterday he stayed my grandson who's five he walks in he takes his shoes off the minute he comes in puts him on mine because I have mine in a certain place he puts his shoes by mine comes walking over he's got his little feet up like papa that's what he does he leans next to me here comes grandma and grandma says oh Josiah it's good to see you give grandma a kiss and he goes like this he puts his hand out like this I'm with papa and he leans his head on my lap and he lays next to me and he does that and so Marie goes I don't believe it all four of the kids and now Josiah too and so now Sophia is uh she's over a year now Sophie is walking she was there last night she comes in she sees papa and when Marie's holding Sophie you know Sophie sees me she will literally turn to her grandmother and put her palm on Marie's chin and she pushes her away like that and then turns to me and goes like this and Marie goes another one I lost another one all of them and I'll come in and I'll hold her you know it really touches me I feel so bad for Marie you know so sad for her she said you know if they did that to you it would break your heart you know that you wouldn't take that I said you're right I wouldn't but you want to know something it's true there is something about dad there's something about who he is what he does that influences and when we as dads neglect the most important element in our relationship with our kids we raise sons of Eli unbelievers people who are called corrupt children who have no relationship with God who may go to church but have no heart for it because on occasion they listen most of the time they don't this man neglected as a result of that his children were lost his lineage his descendants no longer occupied the high place of priest the high priest and it was because of Eli his neglect the discipline well Samuel grew in verse 19 and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground and all Israel from Dan to bear she been knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord the Lord appeared again in Shiloh for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord so God established Samuel in the sight of Israel when Samuel spoke God fulfilled the words because God was the one who was giving him these words and his credibility as a man of God was established God was obviously with him and the people respected him he would utter prophetic pronouncements God continued to manifest himself to him and as he would share the things of God he grew deeper in his relationship with God he was inspired by God to speak and God began to reveal even deeper things to him the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord and it works that way in your life too by the way when you take God's word and put it into practice Jesus said if you keep my commandments you love me and the one who loves me will be loved by my father I will love him and manifest myself to him when you take God's word and act on it God begins to work deeply in you and you get to have that understanding of not only what God's doing but why God does what he does you grow in your understanding of the ways of God not just the works of God and that comes to just putting into obedience the things that God says in his word when you do that you submit with reverence and say speak because you're servant here God begins to move deeply in your life and you you actually become a spiritual person you actually are not just like a California spiritual person you are a spiritual person God is speaking in and through you through his word and by his spirit and God began to move in Samuel and as he worked in Samuel Samuel's fame grew in Israel because everything Samuel had to say that came from the Lord of course came to pass and the people said this indeed is a man of God this is a man who hears from God and father we would be even as Samuel we would be those who hear from you and obey speak Lord for your servant hears is our prayer we want to have a true spirituality not a pseudo spirituality not a social spirituality not a conventional one we want to have a true spirituality where your Holy Spirit really works in us and your word really finds a place in us and our hearts are really turned by you and we hear you when you speak so I pray for this congregation I pray for us I pray that we would have hearts like that and experiences with you like that that come through your word as you speak to us Lord I lift up this congregation maybe may we grow beyond the childhood stage that many of us are in may we grow into adulthood in you Lord be mature and understanding our eyes are closed our heads are bowed perhaps I have some in this room right now we need to get right with the Lord I want to pray for you right where you're at if you know that the Lord is speaking to you you need to get right with him right now I want to pray for you as our eyes are closed and our heads are bowed would you raise your hand let me pray for you right now right where you're at Lord you see these hands you know the reason why they're being raised to you and I'm asking you now Lord in Jesus name as you reach down and touch them or whatever burden they're carrying whatever concern they have whatever it may be Lord they're dealing with that you would right now Lord be the answer and that by your Holy Spirit you would fill them Lord forgive them may they have your peace may they have hope that comes from you may they have the joy of knowing the sins are forgiven and may they have your love Lord work in them now strengthen them now reveal yourself to them now Lord to pray as they open their hearts to you and we receive from you Lord speak for your servants our hearing and we thank you bless you you can put your hands down and Jesus I ask that you keep moving in all of us in this room everyone who wants you I pray that you'd move in us in your name I pray amen let's all stand we'll close with a word of prayer and with a song father we ask that you keep moving through us using us for your glory we leave this place Lord wherever it is that we go we have opportunity to be a witness for you Lord with our friends and our family I ask that you move in us now in Jesus name amen God bless you