“Psst..Psst..Hey you come here. I’ve got something to tell you.“
If someone whispered this to you and you could not see who it was would you go over to them? Probably not. You probably would not go over to them even if you could see them unless you knew them.
Question: Have you ever been someplace or been walking somewhere and thought you heard someone calling your name? If you have, you probably stopped and looked around and tried to figure out who was calling you. Then you start to wonder if anyone else heard it also. But you are too afraid of looking stupid to ask if anyone else heard the voice.
You may know the story in the Old Testament when Samuel was a boy and he heard someone whisper to him. Just in case you don’t, let me refresh your memory. This comes out of the 3rd chapter of I Samuel.
Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord when he heard “Samuel”. Samuel answered and said, ”Here I am,” as he ran to Eli, who was in another room. When he got to Eli he again said, “Here I am; you called me.” Eli told him that he did not call and that he should go back to bed. So, Samuel went back to bed and guess what? That’s right, it happened again. In fact the same thing happened 2 more times.
Well on the third time Eli figured out that God was calling Samuel and he told Samuel to go lie down and if He calls you again say, “Speak Lord for your servant is listening.”
Samuel did and when God called he was ready to listen because he knew the Lord's Voice. From then on Samuel was ready to hear God and willing to serve him. As a result God used Samuel to do mighty things and carry mighty messages.
As I am starting this new position at Grace I feel a little like this. As the elders, my fellow pastors and I have felt God leading in a new direction, I have felt much like Samuel and am willing to say, "Speak Lord for your servant is listening."
I don't know where this journey is headed but I trust that God has called and is directing it. I believe that God has something planned for Newton and the people who live here. I believe that He is calling His people out to be the instruments of His grace.
My hope is that we as a church hear God’s beckoning and respond with open and willing hearts.
Has God ever called you and you did not know who to answer? Has God ever called you and you did not know what to say? My encouragement to you is spend time with God and learn what The Lord’s voice sounds like and when he calls respond by saying,
“Speak Lord for your servant is listening”.
Grace, we are the church, let's go be the church. Let us be sent!
-Pastor Sean