LISTENING TO THE VOICE OF GOD
John 10 & 1 Samuel 3
#hearingGod
INTRODUCTION… colinwbates.com/chinese-character-for-listening/ [adapted]
The Chinese language calligraphy character for the word and concept of “listening” is made up of different elements of good listening:
Across the top of the character there are the elements of ears to hear and eyes to see. We use our ears to hear by paying attention not just to the words spoken but also to the tone, pace and emphasis of the words. If a person starts talking more quickly, a little louder, or with more emphasis, we know that they are engaged and interested in the topic. Alternatively, if they’re more monotone, slower, or with less emphasis, we know they’re less interested in what they share.
We use our eyes to connect with the person with whom we are listening and reassure them that they have our attention. We also use our eyes to check the body language of the person to gain insights into their thoughts because of nonverbal communication. Are they open, animated, and expressive with their body language or are they closed; using smaller or no gestures and more rigid? Nonverbal communication tells us a lot actually.
Across the bottom of the character are the elements of the mind to think and the heart to feel. We use our mind as we are listening to consider the words and ideas shared. We may choose to take an ‘open-minded’ approach or we may choose to be more critical in how we listen, but either of those take our mind being engaged.
We also use our heart to hear as we empathize and sympathize as we are listening. Hopefully we experience the emotions being shared and we feel compassion for the person sharing. Using our heart allows us to listen more deeply and be connected with the other person.
At the center of the calligraphic character, holding this all together, is a single stroke. This represents the need for undivided attention and focus as we listen. We usually think much quicker than a person can talk and as a result we tend to fill in the gaps; sometimes with unnecessary chatter from our mouths or silently in our minds and hearts. To listen most effectively, we need to calm this chatter and completely focus our attention.
TRANSITION
* I bring this up because we are talking all about listening this morning.
* I bring this up because we are talking all about hearing and listening to God this morning.
LISTENING TO GOD IN JOHN 10
In John 10, Jesus is speaking to His followers and some of the crowds that follow Him after a kerfuffle about healing a man who had been blind from birth (John 9:1-41). It seems that the Pharisees and the other religious leaders did not appreciate when, where, and how Jesus did His miracle. It was mostly “when” if we are honest, and Jesus is addressing the fact that the religious leaders are not recognizing God’s work among them. They don’t see it. They don’t want to listen. They didn’t want to be part of what Jesus was doing.
Let’s read two passages from John 10:
READ John 10:14-16 (ESV)
“I am the good shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, 15 just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. So, there will be one flock, one Shepherd.”
READ John 10:25-30 (ESV)
“Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's Name bear witness about Me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among My sheep. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
We notice in these verses that the disagreement between Jesus and the other religious leaders is a sharp one. He mentions in the beginning part of the chapter that perhaps the religious leaders who are not listening to Him are not part of God’s flock and He confirms that is what He is saying in the latter part of the chapter. They aren’t seeing God at work and are rejecting the message of Jesus because they do not belong to God and they aren’t listening. They are standing outside the will of God. They are living outside of the Kingdom of God.
We notice in these verses that people who have faith in God and believe in Jesus and are part of His flock (to use His word picture) and listen to His voice (10:16). Listening to the voice of God is part of a relationship with the Good Shepherd, that is Jesus, and responding to Him brings us into a unified group with Him (10:16). Jesus says later that not only do His sheep hear His voice, but they act on His voice because not only do they hear His voice, but they are actually listening. Believers in Jesus see God at work and accept the message of Jesus because they belong to God and are listening. They are stand inside the will of God. They are living inside the Kingdom of God.
* They are looking with the eye and hearing with the ear.
* They are thinking with the mind and engaging the heart.
* They offer the Good Shepherd undivided attention.
MAIN QUESTION
Our main question this morning is: How do we listen to God? What does it look like when we are praying and an idea comes to us… that we identify it as God’s voice and not the voice of our own inner desire? Or something else? When is it appropriate to think God has laid something on our heart and called us to something or we just made it up because it is something we want? Our main question this morning is: How do we listen to God?
TRANSITION
I would like us to think and pray this morning on the answers to those questions. “How do we listen to God” is a great question. How we identify God’s voice is a worthy truth to think about. The answers are important for us. To do this, I would like to focus on a passage in the Old Testament that I went over with the middle school Sunday school class not too long ago. We are currently studying in 1 Samuel and there is a wonderful narrative in 1 Samuel 3 that helps us answer this question because this chapter shares good principles with us that are echoed in other Bible passages including what we’ve just read in John 10.
Let’s read 1 Samuel 3:
READ 1 Samuel 3:1-21 (ESV)
“Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli. And the Word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. 2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 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, 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 And the LORD called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose 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 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose 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 hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 11 Then the LORD said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, 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 atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.” 15 Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” 17 And 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. And he said, “It is the LORD. Let Him do what seems good to Him.” 19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the LORD. 21 And the LORD appeared again at Shiloh, for the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the Word of the LORD.”
Samuel was a prophet of God that bridged the end of the time of leadership in Israel by the judges (Book of Judges) and the time of kings in Israel and Judah (1 Samuel-2 Chronicles). His birth came about through prayer by his mother and she dedicated him to God and took him to the priests when he was old enough. Chapter 3 gives us a view into his life a few years after he started living with Eli the High Priest at the tabernacle in Shiloh when Samuel was still a young lad. Samuel was serving the priest, but he really didn’t know God all that well. God literally calls Samuel in the middle of the night and Eli the priest figures out God is trying to get Samuel’s attention. The principles we see in this chapter will help us answer the question: “How do we listen to God?” whether or not God speaks aloud to us like Samuel or in prayer or in the Bible or in a dream or in some other way.
TRANSITION
I see four principles presented in the narrative of 1 Samuel 3 that are repeated and agreed on in other Scriptures.
LISTENING TO GOD IN 1 SAMUEL 3
Principle 1: Be close to God
RE-READ 1 SAMUEL 1:3 (ESV)
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.
The passage opens with describing Samuel’s sleeping arrangements. The young boy Samuel sleeps in the tabernacle in the same area as the Ark of the Covenant. The picture we get is that he sleeps outside the Holy of Holies as close to the presence of God as he can get. We don’t know much about Samuel yet in this passage, but the fact that he wanted to sleep in God’s presence says a lot about his growing faith and how much he wanted to personally know God. Closeness to God does bring about the ability to hear His voice.
This principle is echoed in other Bible passages. The prophet Isaiah is very clear that our sin separates us from God and sin creates a communication gap between us and God. We can’t hear God and His willingness to hear and speak to us diminishes as we fill ourselves up with sin. God remains the same, but our sin changes our relationship with Him.
READ ISAIAH 59:1-2 (ESV)
“Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or His ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”
This same principle is repeated in John 8:47 and Hebrews 3:15 that our sin makes distance between us and God and this causes a communication problem. Even in Deuteronomy 30:2 as Moses is saying his final words to the Israelites, hearing God’s voice was preceded by “returning” to the Lord and obeying Him and being in a close relationship.
The first principle of listening to the voice of God is that we need to be close with God in order to hear His voice. Sin creates a communication gap. If you and I have willful sin in our lives, we are not going to hear from God. If you and I choose to fill ourselves with selfishness and sin, we will not hear the voice of God properly. It will be more likely when we are chest deep in sin that what we think is God’s voice is actually our own desires or even the voice of our culture rather than God Almighty. Confession and repentance and forgiveness and obedience clear the communication lines between us and God and allow us to distinguish His voice from among all the other influences.
Principle 2: Be willing to listen
The next principle that is described has to do with willingness: “Be willing to listen.” In the process of God calling Samuel’s name in the middle of the night, the priest Eli realizes in verse 8 that “the LORD was calling the boy.” Eli instructs Samuel to lie down and tells him how to respond when he hears his name called again. The words Eli instructs Samuel to say are: “Speak, LORD, for your servant hears” (verse 9). That whole phrase is dripping with willingness. Samuel is to communicate humbly and with reverent fear to God that he is willing to listen.
He is to communicate humbly: God I am here and am your servant.
He is to communicate his willingness: God when you speak I will listen.
He is to communicate his fear: God I am here waiting and listening.
There is an intent in the answer that Samuel is instructed to give because God does not force Himself on us making us robots. God calls and communicates, but we must engage our will to listen to Him and to answer Him. Our will and our choices are important to God. We must decide that we are going to listen to God because in His love He has given us that choice. In Bible terms, we must decide “to turn our face to God” and pay attention. It is a matter of the will to engage our eyes and ears and mind and heart and all our focus to pay attention to God. It is a matter of the will to submit to Him. Romans 8 and 1 Corinthians 2 repeat this:
READ ROMANS 8:7 (ESV)
For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.
READ 1 CORINTHIANS 2:14 (ESV)
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
The second principle of listening to the voice of God is that we need to make the decision to listen and to be humble and open to God. Eli wanted Samuel to be willing to accept this spiritual communication. Samuel had to make the choice if he would be open to God or not. You and I have the same choice of our will. We are either people of faith who accept the spiritual voice of God and are humbly willing to listen to His will and His Word… or we are not. There is no middle ground.
Principle 3: Watch for repetition
The narrative of God calling Samuel is important because it also shows us the principle of repetition. During the night, God calls Samuel four times. The fourth time God calls in verse 10, God repeats Samuel’s name twice. When God calls and speaks and shares His will, He often repeats Himself. Repetition highlights importance. Repetition highlights it is God. Repetition is meant to help us know it is God and not something or someone else. We also see in this passage that the repetition for Samuel was also confirmed by his spiritual leader which could be considered another form of repetition… both knew it was God speaking eventually.
This principle of repetition makes sense to me because God is Spirit and the Creator of the Universe and infinite and we are flesh and created and limited. We do not communicate the same way or think the same way. He is far above us and different. Isaiah 55:8 reminds us His ways and His thoughts are nothing like ours. God knows that we are going to struggle to hear His voice, distinguish His voice among all the other influences, and to interpret His words because He is so different from us. He knows our limitations and so He has made it a practice to repeat Himself.
* Creation is presented twice in Genesis 1-3
* The Law and the Ten Commandments are repeated twice in Exodus and Deuteronomy
* The life and ministry of Jesus is presented 4 times in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
* Jesus repeats feeding thousands (5,000 and 4,000) of people in order show His power
* Jesus cleared the temple at the beginning and again at the end of His ministry (John 2, Luke 19)
* Jesus commands us to evangelize in Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20, and Acts 1
* Jesus says to Peter three times in John 21: “Feed my lambs,” “Feed my sheep,” “Feed my sheep”
* The Book of Revelation repeats the same events and truths seven times
When we are willingly listening for the voice of God, look for Him to repeat Himself. God often speaks through the Bible or sermons or Bible study lessons. God also speaks to us through prayer and as we talk with Him He gives us insight into His will and His path for us when we take time to pray. God also can speak through circumstances as things happen or don’t happen to nudge us along a direction. God can also speak through the Church family that we are apart of for fellow Christians and our spiritual leaders can help discern if God is speaking. God will speak in several avenues so that we can confirm that it is His voice and will we hear.
There is a temptation or a tendency here: I think I hear God’s voice and I obey. I am sharing with you these principles because sometimes we say “God told me this” or “God called me to this” or “God wants me to” and it is really just our idea. It may be a good idea or a righteous thing, but it may not be God’s voice telling us to do it. In case you were wondering, saying God said something when He did not… is a sin.
The third principle is that God will confirm His calling and voice in our lives by repetition. Perhaps we are praying about something and believe we know what we should do, but then we should also talk with a fellow believer or elder or pastor about it to confirm. Perhaps we are praying about a decision and then we hear a sermon relating to the same issue. Perhaps we are reading in the Bible and feel God pushing our heart in a direction; we should add to this prayer about it that God will help us know for sure. God will confirm His calling and voice in our lives by repetition and rarely is His voice a one-off thing.
TRANSITION
Principle 1: Be close to God
Principle 2: Be willing to listen
Principle 3: Watch for repetition
We have talked about these three principles and I hope they make sense to you. We have just one left.
Principle 4: Agreement is found in the Word
The fourth and final principle is that what we believe we are hearing from God will always agree with His Word. The beginning of the passage from 1 Samuel 3 and the end of the passage mentions “the Word of the Lord” (verse 1, verse 21). The first use of “Word of the Lord” in verse 1 in context is definitely the type of communication we associate with prophets. The second use of “Word of the Lord” in verse 21 is a little less specific and could mean the same thing or it could also mean the written Word of God meaning the Law.
God certainly communicates through His written Word. Hebrews 4:12 and 2 Peter 3:15-16 share with us that God’s written Word is instructive for us and are meant for our benefit. We also find in the Book of Acts that this principle was alive and well. Paul brought the Gospel to the Jews of Berea and they listened to him, but then compared what he said with the written Word of God. The end result was that they concluded that Paul was speaking truthfully.
READ ACTS 17:11 (ESV)
“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”
We have the blessing of the inspired inerrant Word of God as a reference point in all communication with God. God will be consistent. We will not receive direction or a word from God through prayer or circumstances or a sermon or other people that do not match with the Bible. God is order and consistency and His character remains the same and does not change.
This principle is a fallback position. Amid any confusion or questions or uncertainty as we are communicating with God or trying to figure out if He is speaking to us; God’s written Word is to be our firm reference point. Rely on the living and active Word of God as a for sure communication with God among all of the other influences that try and get our attention.
SUMMARY
Our main question this morning: How do we listen to God?
The Scriptures tell us that we must be close to God and clear out the sin in our lives to even have the ability to hear Him. We must engage our will and be willing to listen. We should also watch for repetition because God will repeat Himself to help us. And in the end, double-check what we hear with His written Word and find a consistent message.
I pray you find these thoughts helpful in your spiritual walk with the Almighty God.
PRAYER
INVITATION
CHILDREN’S SERMON BEFORE THE SERMON: sermons4kids.com/sermons/god-calls-samuel [adapted]
At the beginning of the school year, most teachers make a name tag for each student in the class. The teacher does that to help the students in the class learn one another's names and for the teacher to learn all the student’s names!
I want you to know this morning that God knows your name! In fact, I can think of several times in the Bible when God called someone by name. In Exodus, God called to Moses by name from within the burning bush. In Luke, Jesus called Zacchaeus by name, telling him to come down from the tree. One of my favorite times in the Bible (which is the passage we are talking about today) is when God called Samuel by name.
Samuel's mother, Hannah, wanted a son more than anything, so she prayed and asked God to give her one. (On the paper draw a stick figure on her knees to represent Hannah praying.) Hannah promised God that if He would give her a son, she would give Him back to the LORD to serve him all the days of his life. God gave Hannah the son she asked for and she kept her promise to God. When the boy was old enough, she took him to the temple and presented him to Eli, the priest. (Draw a small temple to show the son would be serving God.)
One night Samuel was sleeping when he heard someone call his name. He got up and ran to the old priest Eli because he thought it was him. It wasn’t! (Draw a bed.) It was God trying to get his attention and Eli told him to say: “Here I am!” Some people think that God only talks to grown-ups, but Samuel was just a young boy when God called him by name.
I want you to know that God knows your name just as He knew the name of Samuel and God still calls boys and girls today saying, "Come, follow me." So, listen for God's call and answer just as Samuel did, "Here I am!"
PRAYER
