The lectionary text from the Gospel of John was actually the second part of the call story, which includes the conversation between Philip, Nathanael, and Jesus. In fact, the same conversation between Peter and Andrew in the passage I read is had between Philip and Nathanael. But, the second passage’s dialogue with Jesus shifts the focus from what I was looking for from the Samuel story. it would be fun to preach on Jesus’ question, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth,” but that will have to wait for another day (I have preached it previously in another sermon).
the sermon seemed to trike a chord with people, but I find that that call stories often do. I suspect many of us have questions about what God is calling us to do, so the call story sermons will capture people’s attention.
I also shifted the focus from the person being called to the person helping them discern the call. it made for a little bit different approach to the texts.
I also was looking through some MLK, Jr. stuff as I thought about his life and witness and found the snippet of his final speech that I included here. I hope it fit with the theme of the sermon, and did not seem like a forced illustration.
“Partners in a Call SAPC, January 14, 2018; I Samuel 3: 1-10; John 1: 35-42
Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; 3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called, “Samuel! Samuel!”[a] and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. 6 The Lord called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God,[b] and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever.”
15 Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” He said, “Here I am.” 17 Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, “It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.”
Introduction: We often use language for call in ways that suggests the only call people hear is to be a minister or to serve as a ruling elder or deacon.
God’s call should not and cannot be limited to church activities. in fact, Tom Are, Jr., minister of Prairie Village Presbyterian Church in KS, makes that point that “When Jesus calls, you don’t get a new job; you get a whole new life.” Tom Are, Jr. 11/11/12 Sermon “It's a Whole New Life” FPC, 9/1/13; Chapel
As we reflect on the call stories this morning, think about call in terms of what God is doing in your life and in the lives of others.
I also am not focusing on Samuel’s willingness to hear God’s call or Peter’s apparent desire to hear God’s call. Both powerful stores, but I want to reflect on a few other aspects of call we discover in the stories this morning.
Move 1: The story of Eli and Samuel not only speaks to Samuel hearing God’s call, but how Eli acts as a partner to Samuel.
a. We often need help in identifying our call, that is someone to guide us as we listen for what God might be doing in our lives.
a. Three times Samuel heard the voice in the night.
1. Three times he did not understand or recognize the voice in the night.
2. three times he goes in to awaken Eli to see why Eli is calling him.
3. too bad Samuel did not live in our time. Instead of a voice in the night, he would have gotten a text or a phone call, and the caller id would have said “God,” and he would have known without a doubt.
4. But Samuel does not recognize the voice in the night.
5. Fortunately, Eli does.
6. It takes him three times to figure it out, but finally Eli gets it — God is calling Samuel.
7. Samuel needs Eli to identify for him that God is calling him in the night.
b. Look at the story in the Gospel of John. How does Peter, arguably one of the top disciples discover the Messiah?
1. His brother Andrew, the one for whom this congregation finds its name, brings Peter back to meet Jesus.
2. Peter needs Andrew to connect him to Jesus.
c. In both stories, we see the importance of someone choosing to help someone else recognize God’s call.
1. I am reminded of an author of book on youth ministry, who writes: “When I'm honest, it irks me that God called Moses through a burning bush, and God has sent nothing of the sort in my direction as far as I can tell.” The Godbearing Life: The Art of Soultending for Youth Ministry, Kenda Dean and Ron Foster (74)
2. If there is no burning bush with the voice of God speaking from it, how will we hear God’s call?
3. From someone who sees in us the possibilities for what God might be doing.
d. not easy being a good partner in helping someone hear God’s call.
1. I learned a great lesson about helping someone discern God’s call from a man named Jerry Houchens. He was from KY and had a thick, Eastern KY accent. He told me he had been a “tar” salesman before going to work for the church. I knew him for a year before I realized that he had sold tires that go on cars instead of tar that goes on roads.
When Jerry said, “God” it was a three- syllable word;
I met him when he was working for the General Assembly. he oversaw the ordination process for ministers. after I had received word that I had passed my ordination exams and could look for a call, he called me up. “Richard, do you remember me?” the truthful answer was, “Not really,” but I didn’t tell him that.
He asked me, “Richard, do you want a solo pastorate or an associate pastorate. I got one of each.”
After I hung up, I hightailed it up to see the dIrector of Vocations at the seminary and told him about Jerry Houchens; and asked if I should trust or believe him.
Absolutely, and here’s why. Jerry does not just look at who his favorite people are or who his favorite church is, he considers the gifts of the people and the needs of the church.
4. Great lesson for us as we think about our role in helping others discern their calls.
5. To be faithful to God and to the person with whom we are helping discern God’s call means moving beyond “you’re wonderful,” and really exploring with someone what God might be calling them to do.
6. A friend and member of the congregation I served in OH was not satisfied that he was doing what God had in mind for him. he asked me to help him discern God’s call; we spoke and prayed; thought about career changes; what other career might be where God was calling him; he thought he might like teaching, but he could not make that work; so he changed jobs; not quite there; still listening for God’s call; found a job where he was doing something that fulfilled him; a process that took several years, lots of conversations, and lots of risk.
7. scary to be apart of it. both the fact that someone was taking God’s call for his life so seriously, and that he needed a partner to work with him.
8. as some of you know, Lisa Patterson, our associate pastor has a reputation for being really good at identifying gifts in people and how God might be at work in their lives.
9. I would say be aware when she starts talking to you, but really, “listen, because she may have some ideas about what God might be doing in your life.”
Move 2: you often have to give something up to accept a call.
a. Ok, I can’t guarantee you have to give something up to follow a call, but that seems like how it works in the biblical story.
b. Consider Eli
1. A priest for God’s people.
2. A priest with sons, which meant he probably had an expectation that his sons would carry on the priestly tradition.
3. part of helping Samuel hear his call meant giving up his dream for his sons
2. With that came the acknowledgement that his sons had failed — perhaps he might see himself a failure as their father.
b. Or go back before Eli.
1. Hannah, Samuel’s mother.
2. Perhaps you remember her story.
3. She had been unable to get pregnant and pledged to God that if she were to get pregnant, she would turn her child over to God.
4. She does have a child, and she is true to her word.
5. she takes her child Samuel to the Temple where Eli is the priest and offers him for God’s service.
c. Samuel
1. Had to give up his anonymity and minor role.
2. He had to give up what he had in mind and embrace his role as priestly leader of God’s people.
d. As you listen for God’s call in your life, what are you willing to give up?
Move 3: God is going to do something - do you want to be a part of it?
a. “I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle”
1. that sounds pretty exciting, and maybe a bit scary, but don’t you want to be a part of what God is doing that will make you tingle?
2. That is what is at stake when we talk about hearing God’s call.
2. Do you want to be join with God or keep on doing your own thing?
b. MLK, Jr. April 3, marks the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech to the Memphis sanitation workers in 1968 — his last speech before he was assassinated. he begins the speech by imagining what period of the world history he would have liked to live in: Time of Moses; Roman Empire; time of Luther; Civil war ere with Abraham Lincoln; dealing iwht the depression; Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. (Milton Brasher-Cunningham; “Martin’s Last Words,” April 3, 2011; http://donteatalone.com/lenten-journal-martins-last-words/
2. What a powerful opportunity: to help someone hear God’s call so they can be a part of what God is doing.
Conclusion: Samuel’s response to God was: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”
A response Eli taught him.
whom are you helping hear God’s call?
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