Hello. Okay. There.
Hello! How's everyone doing today?
Good.
Well.
I hope.
Everyone's doing great.
Is my 1st time so sorry if it's a.
Well everywhere, but.
I'm just gonna start here today with a question.
How many of you like sports? Yes.
Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Okay, me, too.
Maybe it's.
Soccer, and you'll watch the euro cup or a Copa America.
I was reading for Spain and.
They did it.
Help America. On the other hand.
I was rooting for Columbia didn't work out. But you know, it's okay. It's okay.
Now I'm going to ask one more question.
Has anyone ever been inside a stadium?
During.
A game. Maybe it was a baseball game or.
A football game.
Now I want to see a raise of hands. If.
Anyone has been to a stadium during a soccer game.
Okay.
Now? How loud was it? Was it pretty loud? Huh! Have you watched.
Have you watched?
The Euro Company called Walmart. It.
You can barely hear the announcers talking. It's so loud you can't hear.
It's.
I just imagine I've never been to one myself, but I can just imagine how.
How.
But.
Just like how you become surrounded by noise in the stadium.
Sometimes that can be our lives.
And there's so many things going on in life.
And so many things that compete for our attention every day.
I mean, we have like.
Work.
We have busy schedules, and sometimes I think maybe you can get so busy with it that it.
Takes over and.
Maybe it's family. Maybe you have worries about other family members and family.
That's creeping in on your mental and spiritual health.
Or.
Maybe it's social media that's a big one.
I can even.
Our phones are powerful devices.
Very powerful, and maybe you can't.
Seem to get off your phone.
Maybe you're scrolling on Tiktok, or who knows what you're doing.
Or.
Maybe it's politics.
I mean the.
Election is coming up. Maybe you're worrying yourself.
Who will be in office next or.
What's our nation going to be like, or the future.
Maybe you just worry yourself.
To death.
Well.
We have so many things.
So much noise.
Yeah.
And sometimes we really forget what matters.
Where God can come to our schedule.
And spending time with him, and listening to his voice.
Now.
You might be wondering.
Now, how can we cut.
Through this.
Of the world.
And how do we know what the voice.
Oh, the Lord is.
And how do I know if I'm listening to the right voice?
Well, today my message is title.
Hearing God's voice in the midst.
And I'm going to go through first, st Samuel, where there was a boy in the Old Testament.
And he experiences the voice of the Lord.
Now, if we can all open up to 1st Samuel, 3.
First, st Samuel, 3.
Okay, I'm going to read the.
Whole chapter. I think it's good. We read the whole thing.
Starting in verse one.
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.
At that time. Eli, who's eyesight.
To grow dim, so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place.
The lamp of God had not gone out yet.
And Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said.
Here I am. I ran to Eli and said.
Here I am, or you called me.
But he said.
I did not call.
Lie down again!
So we went and laid down.
And Lord called again.
Samuel.
And Samuel rose and went to Eli.
And said.
Here I am, for you. Call me.
But he said.
I did not call my son. Lie down.
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord.
And the word of Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
And the Lord called Samuel again the 3rd time.
In your arose and went to Eli and said.
Here I am, for you called me.
Then Eli perceived.
That the Lord was calling the boy.
Therefore Eli said Samuel.
Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say.
Speak! Lord!
For your.
Piers.
So Samuel went and laid down in this place.
And Lord came and stood calling, as at other times.
Samuel, Samuel.
And Samuel.
Speak! Lord!
For your serving years.
Then the Lord said, Samuel.
Behold, I'm about to do a thing in Israel at which the 2 ears of everyone who hears it.
Well, tingle.
On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken. His house.
From beginning to end, and I declare to him that I am about to punish this house forever.
For the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and did not restrain them.
Therefore I swear to the house of Eli.
That the iniquity.
Of Eli's house.
Shall not be atone for by sacrifice.
Or offering forever.
Samuel lay until morning.
Then you open the doors of the house of the Lord.
And Samuel was afraid to Eli.
But Eli calls Samuel and said.
Samuel, my son.
And he said, Here I am.
Eli said.
What was it that he told you?
Do not hide it for me.
May God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me.
Of all that he told you.
So Samuel told him everything from him, and he said.
It is the Lord.
Let him do what seems good to him.
I'm going to stop right there.
Before we get.
Any further. Let's.
Dear Lord, thank you for this time.
I mean.
It's a Sunday.
And we don't just get.
One service or true service, but a 3rd service.
Just.
Coming here as one.
Body.
To.
Be with you in your presence.
And thank you.
Thank you for your.
You're.
Unending grace.
And everything you give to us.
And bless this time we have today, as we're diving in your wording.
So before we get into this passage.
We need some backstory, because there's a few chapters before this.
So it starts out with Hannah.
That's Eli's wife, right?
And she was not able.
To bear any children.
And the other wife.
Of Eli.
Panina did.
She taunted her.
She taunted Hannah, and was.
And this really.
Made.
Hanna said she, she cried, she cried and cried and cried. She was not able to have children.
So.
Hannah called out to the Lord.
And.
But she didn't just call it to the Lord and say.
Give me a son, she said.
Please give me a son.
But.
I will dedicate him to you.
And the Lord answers.
And she bore a son, and she named him Samuel.
Then in the next chapter we see how the 2 sons of Eli.
And Panina. They were dishonoring the house of the Lord.
It really.
They were insulting.
They were insulting the Lord and the 2 sons.
They? They didn't know God at all.
They!
Totally dishonor.
But yet Eli.
He still honored his 2 sons over God.
Then we get a chapter 3.
And it starts off with.
Samuel, ministering.
To the Lord.
Now just take note that Samuel did not really even know Lord at this time.
And he was 12 years old, and he was most likely doing some religious practice of some sort, and.
Like, for example, like how we go to church.
I mean.
You can be very young, or you can be very old, and you can go to church and.
That doesn't mean anything.
It's.
All.
You, you get your application from church. And so he didn't know the Lord just.
Hold on. He did. He didn't yet, but he was still ministering to the work.
Then.
We get to this point.
Or Eli.
Goes to lay in his place, and Samuel goes to lay down in the temple.
And I'm gonna rephrase this again. So.
The Lord.
Our our Samuel goes to lie down.
He goes to lie down over here, and then.
Yes, here's a voice, and says, Samuel.
I'm only.
Thinking he doesn't know where this is coming. Who who is this.
So he's thinking, oh, it's Eli. So okay. So he's going to Eli, going to Eli.
And probably thinking needed help with something and.
Eli says, no, I didn't. I didn't call you. Go back. Go back.
And lay.
So he went back. I mean.
Samuel was obedient voice. So he he went back, and he laid down and.
Once again. Here's.
Samuel.
So he goes back and goes back.
Says Eli, here I am.
And Eli says I did not call you go back, go back! And so he goes back and lays down for a 3rd time. It says.
Here
Samuel. So he goes back to Eli, and at this point I'm.
I would just think Eli is just like kind of frustrated at this point.
Why are you here? Just go back? But no, he didn't say that. He didn't say that.
And Samuel comes here and says, Here I am.
Eli says I did not call.
So.
But.
This time it's something different. He notices.
That is the Lord.
He notices that? That's.
Maybe the Lord calling him so. He says this time.
Samuel, when you go back.
Say this.
Speak! Lord!
For your servant is listening.
So it goes back.
Goes back to lay down and.
And he lays, and for the next time he's hears a voice, and it says.
Samuel Samuel, and this time he answers.
Speak! Lord!
Where your servant is listening.
Speak! Lord!
For your servant is listening.
This is the 12 year old boy who doesn't know God for himself. Yet.
And yet he says.
Speak! Lord!
Or your servant is listening.
I think this is kind of part of the reason why it's.
So hard to distinguish and actually experience the voice of the Lord.
We.
Don't know how to listen.
So.
I this summer are cousin from Albania for.
Few days.
And.
Me and my brother Noah. We wanted to take.
Have a cousin outing to Culver's, and just just the cousins just us.
So I went in one car.
And he took all their car with kids. I took one car with kids.
And he said, Okay, Nathan.
Go.
To call verse.
So.
I went to Culverse, and I was.
Driving driving, and I get a call from Noah.
Nathan, what are you doing? Where are you going.
Go to the Culver's 5 min away.
So I was going to the wrong clover. So I said, Okay, well, I'll travel back on the highway, and I'm going. Oh, the ramps close, so I have to go to the next exit and.
You get there. I probably pass about 2 Culvers on the way.
And at this point it's like a.
Took so many detours. It was 30 min which should have been a 5 min drive. I get to Culver's. Finally.
And I get another call from Noah, saying.
Nathan, you're at the wrong culverse.
So at this point, I'm not going to that culverse. It's on. I went to the wrong Culvers again.
But.
Yes.
Long.
Full story, short.
Don't listen to Noah.
Okay, I mean, okay. Maybe it wasn't all that. Maybe it was. Maybe it was both of us. We both had some things that we had.
Yeah, but
We didn't. I did not know how to listen. Maybe it was more than that, but.
I didn't know how to listen. I wasn't listening.
But.
That's why I'm just saying we don't know how to listen.
I mean, in this day of age we can't even seem to listen to each other.
We are either glued onto our phones.
Or we're too busy in life.
That we just put the rest.
On! Hold.
We just put on hold.
I'm going to tell you this.
God is always speaking.
But ask yourselves.
Are you listening?
I mean, there's various ways we can listen. I mean, we can listen through his word. The most practical answer which we can get so much from.
And I think we can never have.
So many ways to listen to Him through His Word.
Maybe it's a sermon. Maybe you can.
God. You can listen through a sermon, maybe through me, maybe from.
Jeremy, or maybe anyone.
Sermon, maybe a song, maybe the lyrics. I don't know. Maybe through a friend that's a.
Cool one. God works in.
In our, in our friends, maybe even an enemy who knows? God can speak through.
Anyone, maybe the least person you'd expect.
And even through trials. Did you know that.
He can speak through trials.
God is always speaking to us.
But are you listening?
Why is it so hard to listen.
Well, that's a dumb question. Not listening is easier. Right?
Right? Well.
Sadly. That's that's what we tend to say to ourselves.
I have another story.
So.
I. We got a up North every year.
And
Now we go to a different place now, but.
We went up north, and I was maybe like 1012.
And I.
Would always look forward.
Heroing in a boat with my aunt.
And
We would always go. We would always I would. I was always excited. I would love to row the boat.
I would.
It's a workout, but it's very fun.
And
We'd always make to this bay.
And I don't know how long, but.
We would stay there for a while, and.
1530. May. It could have been an hour, for all I know.
But.
We would just sit there.
We would sit there in complete silence.
And I'll never forget it. It's just the silence. We would hear all the.
Birds chirping, the.
Grogs, and the.
Just the wind.
Just it was just complete.
It was amazing. You're away from the world and everything, and in God's presence and creation.
Sounds creation. And sometimes I think maybe we just need to sit in his presence.
But.
I think most importantly to listen to God.
There's 1 thing we need.
What is it?
Well, I think it's we need.
Well in James one God says, to not be here is but doers of the word.
What good is the Bible if we're not applying to anything in our lives.
I mean, there's so much noise in life.
So many and so many different voices.
That veer our mindset off track.
I mean having Faith's faith.
It's it's hard having. Faith is hard.
No one, no one said, being in crisis, easy.
Actually.
The moment you accept Christ.
Into your life.
Boy, you're getting something. It's a roller coaster.
I mean. God places us in tough situations.
To the point where maybe you wonder why? Why does he do this? I mean, this happens to me. I've.
Tragedy in my life, and.
But I asked God.
Why?
Just just why are we doing? But.
Something I've.
But God, how always has a plan.
And something I've learned is that.
There is no tragedy.
God's timing is perfect.
There's no tragedy.
God's timing is perfect.
And Jeremiah. 33. God says.
Calgary.
And I will answer you.
Wow!
I don't know about you, but that sounds like a pretty dangerous verse.
I mean, it's totally awesome. Don't get me wrong, but like.
Wow!
Because sometimes you won't always answer you in the way you expected.
I mean.
God tells us.
Little 12 year old boy.
About the punishing of Eli's house forever.
And he's supposed to just tell Eli this, and I can only imagine what he's thinking is going to Eli Eli.
Eli's.
Finally got it out of him.
Could imagine the fear. And it's just.
God does.
We'll answer you in different ways than you expect. It's.
And his way is always better.
But just remember, God will always answer you.
As you remember. As I said.
His plan is always better.
So.
How do we experience God's voice?
Well.
As we.
Look through.
Ask the Lord.
Number one.
Listen to what he says.
And thirdly.
Don't be! Here's.
But doers.
Now.
Before moving on.
I feel like.
I was inspired by Luke Meyers.
Let's let's have a half time. I feel like we don't have a half time in a sermon.
But.
Where.
Why don't we all stand up and greet someone in the pew next to you?
Street, someone in the pew next. So you see how their day is going.
How you doing, Tammy.
That is true.
Okay.
Yeah, I I don't know about you, but.
Sometimes I need to move my legs, and
And a long sermon. I just need a.
Talking to someone can be.
Okay.
Thank you. Luke.
Okay, so moving on.
So I was actually talking about this topic.
And about the voice of the Lord with my, with my aunt.
I was talking to her about the voice of the Lord, and.
She brought me to this passage in Psalm 29.
And it's just a very beautiful passage, I mean.
This is auto.
I've been interested.
Recently going into the Psalms. A lot more.
After this is, it's just.
I love psalms, I would totally recommend it.
But I'm just gonna read the whole.
Chapter verse of chapter 29.
It says.
Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings.
Ascribe to the Lord, glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory do his name.
Worship the Lord, and the splendor of holiness.
The voice of the Lord is over, the waters.
The God of glory thunders.
The Lord over many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful.
Voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars.
Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf.
And Suriron like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness.
The Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the dear give birth, and strips the forest.
And in his temple I'll cry.
Glory.
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood.
Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
May the Lord give strength to his people?
May the Lord blesses people.
With peace.
Voice, the Lord is powerful.
The voice of the Lord is over, the waters.
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars.
The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness.
The voice of the Lord makes the dear give birth, and strips for a spare.
That's 7 times.
Your piece up phrase the Lord.
So it must be important.
Salt.
How do we know that it's God's God's voice we're hearing.
Well, it says here.
The voice of the Lord will give strength to His people.
And all blesses people with peace.
You know what that sounds like to me?
Well, if you know what say it with me? But the fruit of the spirit is.
Love, joy, peace.
Patience, kindness.
Faithfulness.
Channelness and self control.
Again such things. There is no law.
We will experience all these things.
When God speaks.
I mean. God says that we'll know His voice.
In John 10.
So I'm just gonna go there very quick in John 10.
He says we'll know his voice.
So John, 10.
If you want to go there or not, it's okay.
But I'm starting in verse one.
Dawn, 10, verse one.
Truly, truly I say to you.
He who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by another way.
That man is a thief and a robber.
But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
To him. The gatekeeper opens.
The sheep. Here's voice, and he calls his own sheep by name.
And leads them out.
One. He has brought out all his own.
He goes before them.
And the sheep follow.
They follow him.
Where they know his voice.
A stranger.
They will not follow.
But they will flee from him.
For they do not know.
The voice of a stranger.
When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him.
Were. They know his voice.
So at this time I want to ask.
Sy, and Jonathan.
Come up here, please.
We'll put one on here.
One on this side.
We're gonna do a little.
Full activity, here.
So first, st Josi, you can sit down. Yes.
Feel free, to.
It, down.
Okay.
So first, st I'm gonna you can sit there for a while.
Josiah
Please close your eyes and no peeking. I didn't bring a blindfold, but.
I'm just gonna trust you.
So I'm gonna have.
A series of 3 things.
And you have to just tell me what it is. Okay.
Yeah, it's close enough. That's good.
Not some morocco.
Forgot the name. That's kind of close to a fleet.
Got the name? Fantastic.
You know what it is.
Yeah, I know what it.
You know what it is.
Okay.
We'll leave it at that. It's it's called a harmonica. But.
Believe it at that.
Okay. Now, no one will know what this is.
People over the age of 40, but.
Maybe I don't know. Maybe.
What is that?
When we play again.
Any guesses.
Okay, that's fine.
Okay. Now we're going to go to Jonathan here.
And for you, I.
I have.
Had some people this morning, and I.
Voice recordings.
And one of them is my voice.
You had to distinguish which one is my voice.
Okay.
Okay. I brought here.
Put this up.
There we go!
Okay. Ready.
And they're just gonna play right after each other.
1, 2, or 3.
Let me get this up.
You ready?
Hey? I'm really Nathan.
Hello! This is Nathan.
Hey? It's Nathan.
Jonathan, which one was me.
One tour.
3.
Would you? Would you like me to play.
I wasn't gonna replay it because you weren't listening.
So, just.
Remember, listen.
But what which one was it?
2, okay.
Actually good job. Everyone clapped, for John has been.
Okay, you can sit down. You can sit down. Thank you. Guys.
Okay.
Okay, thank you guys for coming up here.
Well.
There was this. This is an analogy.
Brought. Well, it it kind of went a little off because he didn't know it. But Josiah.
He came up here, and we had.
2. That he.
Let's just say he knew he knew what they were.
It was the the shaker and the harmonica. He knew that.
Just think of that like the.
And he didn't know.
He didn't know what that last one does anyone know what this is called?
Anyone.
I think of it like a noise maker, a noise maker.
Yeah, yeah, okay.
But yeah, so he didn't know that one.
He!
That was the one he definitely didn't know. He at least knew some.
But.
That's what I kind of think sometimes these days that happens.
We.
We don't know.
He didn't know those, that one voice, but he knew that those other 2 right.
That's the voice of the Lord. We know we know His voice, we will know his voice, love, joy, peace. I'm gonna focus on those 3 love, joy, peace! We know those voices.
But we didn't know the other one.
That's the enemy.
We don't know that voice.
Now, as we've seen Jonathan. He came up.
And it was looking for my voice, of my voice right now. He was looking for my voice. Think of it like the voice of the Lord.
He's looking for the voice of the Lord, and.
He guessed, too.
Jonathan.
You didn't get it right.
Good job.
I did say it was right, but it wasn't.
Because that's what the enemy says.
Then he says, You're you're you have the right voice.
But actually, I'm gonna tell you right now.
None of those voices were mine.
Thank you. Bob.
Thank you, Mr. Hartle.
And thank you, Josia.
Okay? And so that's where the enemy tries to do.
And.
I'm just going to read a verse, Peter, 5, 8, through 9.
Be so minded minded.
Be watchful.
Your adversary. The devil prowls around like Aaron.
Seeking someone to devour.
So he can trick us. He really trick us. He's a sneaky dude, he's smart.
But he's sneaky.
And.
I think this analogy fits perfectly. It's just.
Yeah, and we just.
Sometimes we're worried. I I mean, I I think this for myself, too.
We don't know what our.
If we're listening to our own voice, if it's God's voice.
We don't know. Sometimes we just don't know whose voice we're listening to.
But just like I said, we have.
Just take the food of the Spirit.
Love, Choi.
And so on. But focus on those 3.
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.
Speak! Lord!
Where your servant is listening.
So how can we experience the voice of the Lord?
Again.
Ask the Lord.
Listen to what he has to say.
3.rd
Don't be hers, but doers.
And 4.th
Identify the fruits.
Coming from this voice.
So I'm gonna close with prayer.
Dear Lord! Thank you for.
These moments where we can.
Take away!
I mean.
Sometimes.
I think we just need to take an application away.
And thank. Thank you for those times, and.
Florida.
Thank you that we can know that.
What?
We have.
And that is from you.
Thank you. War.
And
Bless his time. Today, as.
We go home.
And bless our minds and souls.
And pray. Amen.
So.
I think at this time we will.
Me and my uncle. We will play a closing song. It's called.
Let us exalt his name together. It's it's a great song.
And I think, after we have.
Cookies.
Not cookies. We have ice cream. Sorry.
To make your hopes up.
We have ice cream after.
Hold him, I will bless, see shall be my mouth.
My soul, mate is in the Lord.
The humble man shall hear of him, the afflicty shall be glad to magnify the Lord.
Let us say so.
Say.
Together forever. I sought the Lord me, and leaving me through my fierce.
His name.
Together forever. Oh, sing by the low.
The angels of the Lord's name, to save and deliver them from.
Arms.
The lions row with hunger we lack for them. No wonder, then we praise him with our song.
Let us take so these days together forever. I soak the Lord. He heard me, and delivered me from my fierce old ease together forever.
Oh, Sing, by the.
Just keep your leaves from righteous.
He's safe together forever, or seeing his magnify the low.
Alright!
Well, let's enjoy the fellowship time together, so thank you.