God is Calling: Samuel

Good morning!
My name is Mike—Mike Van Auken—and I get to be part of the ministry staff here in the Boston Church, in the Metro Region, specifically with the Framingham group. It’s an honor, a pleasure—I’m so grateful.

As we get started, there’s one announcement we didn’t get to make: this afternoon, or shortly after service, we’re having a reception down in the teen room for Bob and Cindy Herman. Amen? Come on!

As it turns out, Bob and Cindy are longtime members and servant-leaders within the Metro Region. They’ve been here since before I got here. They’ve led the benevolence ministry, led family group, overseen the food pantry—and this is their final service with us. They’re moving up to Maine, where one of their daughters and their grandchildren live.

We’re going to miss Bob and Cindy a ton. But please, if you can, stop by the reception in the teen room shortly following service. Amen?

Bob and Cindy—we love you very, very much.

It’s great to be together this morning. We are going through a sermon series called "God Is Calling."

What we’re doing this summer is taking a look at moments where God calls someone—a man or woman—to a specific purpose, ministry, or mission in life. Today, we’re looking at the call of Samuel in 1 Samuel 3. If you want to turn there now, you’ll have a bit of a head start.

Background on Samuel

Samuel was the son of Hannah. Hannah was childless for a long time, and she prayed and prayed and prayed:

“God, give me children or I’ll die.”
She promised, “If you give me a son, I’ll dedicate him to you.”

And indeed, Samuel was born. After he was weaned—around three or four years old—she brought him to the temple, where he was raised by Eli, the high priest.

Eli had two sons—Hophni and Phinehas. They were also priests, training and serving in the temple, but they were not good guys. They were stealing food from the sacrifices, and they were sleeping with the women who served at the temple. Eli tried to stop them, rebuked them, but they didn’t stop. That will become important in a few minutes.

This all takes place in a town called Shiloh. You may or may not be familiar with it, but Shiloh was the center of Jewish worship before Jerusalem. This is during the time of the Judges—a dark time. Hophni and Phinehas weren’t unusual guys for this era.

In fact, the last verse in the book of Judges (21:25) says:

“In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.”

Of course, Israel did have a king—God Himself, Yahweh—but they didn’t live like it. It was a dark time.

1 Samuel 3 marks the beginning of a ray of hope.

Let me introduce you to a word: inclusio.
It’s a literary device used in the Bible where a section of scripture begins and ends with similar or matching phrases or themes—sort of bookending a passage. You see this in the Gospel of Mark a lot.

1 Samuel 3 has an inclusio. The first and last verse say:

"The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions..."
(and in verse 21):
"The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there He revealed Himself to Samuel through His word."

So, we see by the end of this chapter, things get better. God's word is being revealed again.

Our goal this morning is to see God revealed through His word. If we don’t walk away with that today, then I haven’t done my job. So let’s all be praying to see God revealed through His word today. Amen?

Let’s pray:

Prayer
Father, thank you so much for the way you love us, for the way you take care of us. Thank you for your word. Thank you that you reveal Yourself through your word, and you do it in a way that even we can understand. It’s amazing, God—that we, as limited and finite beings, can even have a relationship with You. Individually. Collectively. Thank you for that. We’re humbled by that. We’re awed by that. And we never want to take that for granted. God, we pray that over the next few minutes, we will become more aware of—and more grateful for—the walk we have with You. We love You very much, and we pray all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

You won’t be surprised if you’ve heard me speak before: I’ve got three points this morning.

Point 1: Do You See God Clearly?

(1 Samuel 3:1–7)

"The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions..."

Eli—who was going blind—was lying down, and Samuel was lying in the house of the Lord near the ark. Then the Lord called Samuel. He answered, “Here I am,” and ran to Eli.
Eli said, “I didn’t call you—go lie down.”

This happens again and again. Finally, verse 7 says:

“Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord; the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.”

That’s striking. Samuel was religious—raised in the temple, ministering before the Lord. But he didn’t know God. Why? Because the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

We are all responsible for our own faith and convictions—but God also works through other people to help us gain that faith. He’s a God of responsibility and a God of relationship.

That’s why we need one another.

When I arrived here in early 1989—36 years ago—I came as someone who had grown up going to church. I could’ve passed any lie detector test on “Is Jesus the Son of God?” “Is the Bible the word of God?” I knew all the right answers. But I didn’t live like it. I didn’t have convictions. I had no real relationship with God.

That’s true for a lot of people in America. We know the right answers. But we don’t live by them.

What helped me was a study series—learning about the Word of God, discipleship, the Kingdom, sin, righteousness, forgiveness, baptism, and more. That’s what helped me become a Christian.

And for the last 36 years, I’ve gotten to sit on the other side of that table—not because I’m a minister, but because I’m a disciple, helping others learn those same things.

If you’re visiting today, I want to encourage you: ask the person who invited you—or even me (I’m probably the only guy here in a suit jacket today!)—about that study series. Let’s do it together.

We all need help to see God clearly.

Even 36 years in, I still need help. I read the Bible, pray, talk about God daily—but I need other people to help me see clearly. Sometimes even more importantly, I need help seeing myself clearly.

Years ago, when Scarlet and I led preteen camp, we had 300 kids aged 10–12. One key rule was the buddy system at the lake. Every 15 minutes, Barbara (one of our lifeguards) would blow the whistle, and everyone had to hold up their buddy’s hand.

Now, a 10-year-old probably can’t save another 10-year-old from drowning. But two 10-year-olds with a buddy system are much less likely to get into danger in the first place.

That’s why we talk so much about prayer partners, discipleship partners, spiritual relationships—people who know where you are, spiritually. Who know when you’re in a safe place or in trouble. Who know when you’re taking a step of faith—or falling into complacency.

If you want to see God clearly, you need someone by your side.

If no name is coming to mind—someone you’re consistently talking to and being transparent with—you’re in trouble. You’re more likely to end up in a dangerous place spiritually. You need help to see God clearly.

Are you with me on that?

(1 Samuel 3:8–14)

“The third time the Lord called Samuel, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’
Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy.
So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”’
So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’
Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’”

Isn’t that kind of cool? God stood there! He showed up—maybe in the form of a man or something like that—but He was present. It’s easy to read over that, but I think it’s awesome.

Now that’s not the point of the passage—it’s just cool. So, back to the point.

“And the Lord said to Samuel, ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end.
For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them.
Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, “The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.”’”

That’s a rough message.
So Samuel hears God’s call—and what a call it is.

A question we often ask is:
"How do I know it’s God’s will? How do I know if this is God calling me?"

Let me give you a bit of insight I’ve come to over the years:
If you’re getting a prompt, a call, a request—something you really don’t want to do—that’s probably God.

It’s not always the case, but a lot of times, God’s call is not the thing we were hoping to do. It’s often hard. It’s often contrary to our strengths or preferences. It’s rarely the fun, easy, or comfortable thing.

Let’s look back at some examples we’ve already studied in this series:

• Joshua was taking over for Moses. They told him, “Be strong and courageous.” Why? Because he was scared. He didn’t want the job.

• Gideon said, “I’m the least in my family, my family’s the least in our clan, our clan’s the least in our tribe, and our tribe is the least in Israel.” Yet God told him, “Go in the strength you have.”

• Moses said, “I don’t speak well.” But Moses had the best education in Egypt! He grew up in Pharaoh’s house—he spoke just fine. But God gave him Aaron and said, “Go anyway.”

• Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, was told by an angel about his son’s birth. He basically responded, “How do I know you’re not lying?” And—zap—he couldn’t speak for nine months.

The point is this: when God calls, it’s often not what we would have chosen.
It’s often something we think we’re not capable of.

Now, if you don’t want to do something, that’s not proof it’s God calling—but it’s a decent clue.

So what is God calling you to do?
It’s probably not to lead a nation like Joshua or deliver a rebuke to a high priest like Samuel.

But it might be something like…
Serving in children’s ministry.
(That right there! [Applause])

You know, as soon as it gets quiet around you, you can probably assume—God’s calling you.

Maybe it’s to register online and serve at the food pantry a few times a year. That seems like the kind of thing God would call you to do.

We’ve got amazing servants in this group that you can look to and say, “They’re doing it—and it seems to be working.” You can learn from them.
Certainly, Bob and Cindy are at the front of the line when it comes to serving.

Now, let me just say—we can’t replace Bob and Cindy with one couple. That’s a three- or four-couple job. It takes a team to match their level of faithfulness and service.

There are others, too:

• Maurice Perry has played in every single one of the 15+ Hoops for Hope events—24 hours of basketball to benefit a hospital in Cambodia.
  This weekend, he, Phil Arsenault, and Paul Waters flew out to Spokane, Washington to help the church there launch their first Hoops for Hope. That’s amazing.

• Jen Johnson is now leading the food pantry—doing an incredible job. We need to support her all the way.

• Drew and Julie are helping with the aid and assistance part of the benevolence ministry. That’s vital work. Let’s support them, too.

• Lonnie led our usher team from before we even bought this building! Now Larry Deovian and Ara Day are continuing the work—splitting duties and keeping it going.

And what about Sandre and Dave—translating right now in the back kitchen, in languages they didn’t even grow up speaking!
Let’s be real—Dave might be in the least attractive corner of this building, but he’s doing something sacred.

And I’ve known Dave for 30 years. What he and Sandre do is amazing.
And even if I’ll never know for sure whether Dave is accurately translating all this, I do know this:
We should all imitate Dave and Sandre Moore.

Point 3: Will You Share What God Says?

(1 Samuel 3:15–21)

“Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord.
He was afraid to tell Eli the vision,
but Eli called him and said, ‘Samuel, my son.’
Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’
‘What was it he said to you?’ Eli asked. ‘Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.’
So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing.
Then Eli said, ‘He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.’”

Now remember—Eli couldn’t see.
Kind of an ironic statement, isn’t it? “Let God do what’s good in his eyes.” Eli’s vision had failed, but now he recognized that God sees clearly, even when we don’t.

“The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.
And all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord.
The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.”

Will You Share What God Says?

Samuel had something to say because God gave him a message.
But did you catch it?
He was afraid to say it.
Been there? All. Day. Long.

It’s not easy to say what God puts on your heart.

If I could zap one trait into the whole church—a change that would deepen our maturity, help us grow in Christlikeness, and become a greater light in the world—it might just be this:
Learn to speak the truth in love.

This is one of the most lost arts in the church.
It takes humility and boldness to say:

• “You hurt my feelings.”

• “I was uncomfortable with how you said that.”

• “I think I see sin in your life.”

• “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

And it’s so tempting to take the easy way out and say… nothing.

But when you do that? Bitterness builds. Hearts harden. You start assuming the worst about people. Relationships grow cold.

That happens in:

• Marriages

• Friendships

• Ministries

• Leaders and members

• Even in your relationship with God

Just look at the Psalms—half the time, the psalmists are like, “God, I don’t think you’re running things right!”
And guess what? God can handle it.

Ephesians 4:29 (roughly):

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up… that it may benefit those who listen.”

If you’ve got something hard to say—
Here’s a pro tip:

The more personal it is…
The more emotional you feel about it…
The more emotional you think the other person might feel about it…
The more in-person you need to be.

No texting. No emails.
That’s the coward’s way out.

Only 20% of communication is words. So when you send a text about something deep, you’re only using 20% of the tools God gave you.

If you can’t meet in person—at least make a call.
Let people hear your voice. See your face. Read your body language.

Speak the truth in love.
When God puts something on your heart, find a way to say it.
And also—don’t forget to share the good news.

Samuel did.
That’s what it means when it says “He was attested as a prophet of God.”
He wasn’t always predicting the future—he was sharing God’s message. And God didn’t let any of his words fall to the ground.

We’ve seen powerful examples of that here in Framingham.

• Bill Miller became a disciple at 91 years old.
  That’s him in this picture with his daughter Becky Black.
  He lived with Becky and Al. He studied the Bible. He became a disciple.
  And just three weeks ago, he passed on to glory as a faithful follower of Jesus.
  Why? Because someone shared the good news.

• Anna became a disciple in November 2023.
  Her husband Hensy wasn’t initially interested—but she was. A few months later, their teen son Jay became a disciple.
  Hensy saw the difference in his home and said, “I like what I see.”
  In March of 2025, they attended the Spanish Ministry’s Marriage Retreat, and Hensy said, “I need to study the Bible.”
  A couple weeks later, before flying to the Dominican Republic, Hensy got baptized.

Here’s his picture at his baptism.

So let’s bring it home:

• Cycles were broken.

• Lives were changed.

• Marriages were healed.

• Teens found faith.

• And the next generation has hope.

Why?
Because someone was willing to share God’s word.

So let’s take this to heart:

“God is revealed—and His will is revealed—through His Word.”

Let’s:
✅ See God clearly
✅ Hear God clearly
✅ And share what He has to say.