Scripture:
1 Samuel 3:1-21
Quick Summary:
Right at bedtime, God called out
to Samuel, but Samuel thought it was the priest Eli. After three times, Eli
finally realized it was God who was calling Samuel. The next time God called,
Samuel said, “Here I am, Lord!” God wanted Samuel to do something very hard.
God wanted him to tell Eli that his family would no longer be priests because
they didn’t follow God. Samuel did it, and he kept telling people hard things
for God for the rest of his life.
The Point:
God calls us, even when we are young.
Questions for Family Time:
1.
Who was the person you learned about? What made him special?
a. Samuel was really young, but God called him.
2. Did Samuel recognize God’s voice?
a. No! God had to call him 4 times
before he knew it was God.
3.
What was Samuel called to do?
a. He was called to tell the priest Eli hard things.
4.
What is God calling you to do?
Deeper:
Samuel is the last of our series of Judges.
He is not actually recognized as a judge, though he falls in that time period.
He is considered a prophet. In the Old Testament, prophets are people who take
God’s word to the people. Priests are people who take people’s words to God. In
the New Testament, first Jesus and now the Holy Spirit act as both prophet and
priest. Through Jesus, we have full communication with God. We can be prophetic
by speaking God’s truth into the world. We are also part of the priesthood of all believers, which means
any of us can act as priests for each other by praying and helping them see
God’s presence.
Samuel has an amazing call story.
God called him and he didn’t recognize God’s voice. It wasn’t until Eli told
him, that he realized it was God talking to him. I think many of us have this
experience. We may feel God calling us to do something…in our neighborhood, for
someone else, or even change jobs. How do we know if that is really God or just
a whim we are having? It is something
most of us struggle with as we sort out what God wants us to do. It even happens to us who are called to be
pastors.
Just like with Samuel, most of us
need someone like Eli who helps us discern God’s call. In the UMC, laity and
clergy must confirm someone’s call to pastoral ministry throughout their
candidacy process, which last from their call all the way through their
education and three years of full time pastoral leadership. Pastors review
their work and theology and then finally agree with God that this person is
called and gifted to serve as a pastor.
While not all calls are such a long
process, every day God calls people in the church for specific jobs to bring
his kingdom to earth. Whether it is a specific day job, or a job within the
church, God calls all of us to use our abilities, personalities, knowledge, and
passions to bring his glory. This week, our project leader is a member of our
church that God called. She never thought she would end up in jail, but God
called her to lead a bible study there. The church helped her follow that call
by recognizing how she would be good at leading, and helping her with supplies.
God is calling all of us. I hope we
have the courage to follow those calls. Just as important, I hope God is using
us in each other’s lives to confirm those calls.
Personal Reflection:
What is God calling you to? Who else’s call can you
confirm?
