CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW???
I SAM 2:13-17
Most all of us are familiar with the Verizon Phone ads with the catch phrase “can you hear me now?.”
They make it seem like all we have to do is have service with Verizon and our phones would never drop a call… Now, I used to have that service and I was always the one saying…can you hear me now…For a long time after we moved here I was convinced I was going to have to pull a Green Acres and go climb a pole to get a signal…I literally could only take calls in my office at home…anywhere else in the house and the coverage was not sufficient for people to hear me.
Sometimes I think God must get tired of saying…can you hear me now??? You see, unlike Verizon, with God the problem is never with the carrier…it’s always with the receiver…and the way some of us respond to God’s instructions He must say quite a lot…can you hear me now???
We don’t have to work at getting HIS attention…. but too often God has to work to get ours.
In Ezekiel, God stated that "these people have ears to hear but they never hear - eyes to see, but they never see" (12:2).
Why don’t they hear/see? The same reason we don’t…
1. Because we’re not paying attention.
ILLUS: I read recently that several states were thinking of making new restrictions on young drivers. It seems that having a teenager drive can be a scary thing. But they’ve found that when a teen has a friend in the car, the situation gets even worse. AND if that teen has several friends in the car… that was a recipe for disaster.
So someone has suggested that for the first year or so driving – no friends in the car.
Now, why would a teen be a danger because of his friends being in the car with him?
Because the teen would get distracted by his friends and not pay attention.
They have ears to hear… but they’d just not be listening to the things they need to listen to.
Now, as we come to I Samuel – we find that somebody hasn’t been paying attention.
Somebody has NOT been LISTENING to God.
You see, seldom is the problem not hearing God…the problem is not listening…
Guys, where have we heard that before…
In our text today God explains that’s been happening to Eli, the priest, and there is nothing more sad than a man of God who refuses to listen to his Master. (turn to I Samuel 2:13-17)
1 Samuel 2:12 - 17 (NKJV) 12Now the sons of Eli were corrupt;£ they did not know the LORD. 13And the priests’ custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling. 14Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.” 16And if the man said to him, “They should really burn the fat first; then you may take as much as your heart desires,” he would then answer him, “No, but you must give it now; and if not, I will take it by force.” 17Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.
“Eli’s sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD.
This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD’s sight, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.”
Then in vs:22 we’re told
1 Samuel 2:22 - 25 (NKJV) 22Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, £and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 23So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. 24No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the LORD’S people transgress. 25If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?” Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because the LORD desired to kill them.
Not only are the boys stealing from God… they’re making the tabernacle a place of prostitution.
So, Eli takes his boys aside and gives them a good talking to.
But he DOES NOT discipline them.
He doesn’t remove them from their office as he should have.
Now, there are a couple of possible reasons Eli didn’t discipline his sons but the one we’re going to focus today was – he loved them. These are his boys. And he gets distracted by this love for his sons.
He loves them more (pause) than he does God.
And so he overlooks their sin because he loved them too much to obey God.
Now Jesus has something to say about that.
Jesus said “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:37
Eli loved his sons more than God.
They kept him from listening to God.
They distracted him from his responsibility before God.
And because Eli loved his sons as much as he did, he stopped listening to God, and he lost everything he held dear. He lost both his sons, he lost his life, and his family lost their place in the priesthood.
What is the danger when we won’t listen…
2. If we won’t listen…then God will turn to someone else…
1Samuel 2:35 God tells Eli
1 Samuel 2:35 (NKJV) 35Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever.
God had selected Samuel to replace Eli and his family because Samuel would be a priest who would not get distracted by anything.
Samuel would be a priest who would LISTEN to God
And that LISTENING began right here in I Samuel 3
God wakes Samuel four separate times
Each time God calls - “Samuel, Samuel”
And the first 3 times… that’s all God says.
It’s only after Samuel (following Eli’s advice) says ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening" that God starts talking to him.
It’s only after Samuel declares I’m listening.
We must do more than just hear God…we must listen as He instructs us.
ILLUS: I read about a high school music appreciation class where the students were asked the difference between listening and hearing. It took a while for anybody to raise their hand, but eventually one of them did they gave this insightful definition:
“Listening is WANTING to hear.”
Here’s the deal,
God had looked for a man who would listen to Him
God was looking for a man who wanted to hear what He had to say.
ILLUS: Do you remember the story in the Gospels about Mary and Martha. These women were both strong supporters of Jesus’ ministry. They gave them emotional support, fed them food… maybe even helped financially.
According to Luke, when Jesus first met these sisters they were so impressed by Him they had him come to their house for a meal. And in Luke 10:39-42 we’re told that
“ Mary… sat at the Lord’s feet LISTENING to what he said. But Martha was DISTRACTED by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
Notice, Mary was “Listening” to Jesus.
Martha was WORKING for Him.
No doubt Jesus appreciated what Martha was doing for Him but Mary was doing the one thing that matters the most to God… she was listening.
Martha was “distracted” by HER preparations.
She was following HER agenda - what she felt needed done.
She hadn’t asked Jesus
In fact she TOLD Jesus what she wanted done “Tell her to help me!”
By contrast, Mary was listening to hear what Jesus’ agenda was.
She was listening to hear what HE wanted done.
Repeatedly throughout the Bible God says “LISTEN TO ME!”
• Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that you may learn them, and keep, and do them
• Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
• Hear, O Israel the word which the LORD speaks unto you
• Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth
Listen.
Listen.
Listen.
Jesus declared: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”
What is the greatest danger to those who would listen?
3. Don’t get distracted…
Satan is the master distracter…if He gets you distracted, you Spiritual life will start to sputter…
Your Spiritual Life is like a High powered racing engine…it requires a high octane, pure racing fuel…That fuel can only be found in one place…in the presence of God…when we are distracted we start hiding from God’s presence…and that highly powered engine starts having to run on the fuel of the word…and it starts to sputter, and gum up…and if we are not careful we run the risk of ruining that finely tuned machine that is our Spiritual Life…
Don’t get distracted by anything in this world.
Don’t get distracted by your job, your troubles, your goals, your agendas, even your family.
Listen to God!
Listen to Him FIRST.
Jesus said: Seek ye first (what?)…
Seek ye first the kingdom of God (why)…
and ALL these things shall be added unto you.
Now Jesus was simply repeating what the rest of Scripture already promised
• "Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey (WHY?) so that it may go well with you." Deut 6:3
• "Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear (WHY?) and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." Isaiah 55:3
What God’s saying is this:
I want to bless you.
I want to give you what your heart desires
BUT I can’t do that if you’re not going to listen to Me!
The reason God chose Samuel to replace Eli was this was a boy who would say to God “Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening." 1 Samuel 3:9
So, now, that begs the question… how do I know when I’m listening to Him?
Well, how did Samuel do it?
1st – he lived close to God all the time.
He was at the tabernacle every time the place was open
Well, of course he lived there, but the point is this: He was always near to God.
Frankly, you can’t hear if you’re not near. (repeat)
What does that mean to you?
It means – go to church… every chance you get
Not because this building is the place where “God lives”
No! You come to church because when you’re here you’re surrounded by God’s people.
Jesus said “wherever two or more are gathered in my name… there I am.”
So, let me ask you a couple of questions:
Are you going to Sunday School? If not, why not?
Are you involved in a Bible Study?? If not, why not?
Now, it could be that you know the Bible better than I do. I’ve preached for over 15 years and studied God’s Word cover to cover. – but you could know more than I do.
But I have found that when I go to Sunday School every week I still discover things I never knew, or something I may have heard before but need to hear again.
If you miss out on Sunday School or Bible studies that you could go to... you risk missing listening to what God wants you to hear. If you want to hear, you’ve got to be near!
4. Seek to Grow in God’s Presence
2nd – 1 Samuel 2:21 tells us “… the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD”
Samuel
GREW in God’s presence.
He wasn’t just hanging around the tabernacle putting in his time.
He was growing… he was stretching.
Vs. 26 tells us Samuel grew “… in stature and in favor with the LORD and with men.”
How have you grown in Jesus lately?
• How have you improved your prayer life?
• How have you studied God’s word at your home?
• What have you done to be a better servant of God?
Now, I’m not asking those questions to accuse you or make you feel bad…
These are questions every Christian ought to be asking themselves no matter what they status or maturity.
We should never be satisfied by getting by in our faith.
We should never be satisfied with the status quo.
It is a truth in this world that when we stop growing we begin to die.
If you stop growing in your faith… your faith will begin to die.
Make it your goal - as a Christian - to always grow up in God’s presence.
Lastly, I read something 3 separate times in I Samuel.
Again and again and again we’re told “Samuel was ministering before the LORD” (2:11,18 and 3:1)
What’s that mean?
It means – if you’re REALLY listening to God that which you hear from Him will cause you to minister for Him.
When God rebukes Eli in 1 Samuel 2:35 He tells him
“I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, WHO WILL DO according to what is in my heart and mind.”
If what you hear here on Sunday mornings doesn’t move you to serve God in some way… you’re not listening (REPEAT)
CONCLUSION
This morning, you need to ask yourself What is God saying to you?
Are you listening?
Is God speaking you to you about your need to study more?
To grow more?
To serve more?
Or is talking to you about the most basic need in your life?
Have you not come to the point of believing that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for your sins? Have you not come to the point where you’ve accepted the fact that you are a sinner who needs to be forgiven your sins? Have you not come to the point where you’re willing to turn your life over to Jesus and make Him Lord of your life? Or have you yet to be buried in the waters of Christian baptism and risen up from those waters a new creature in Christ?
Whatever God is saying to you, you need to make up your mind to say “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening!”
