www.rossvillechurch.com

781 Salem Road, Rossville, GA 307411

August 21, 2011

God spokespoke to Samuel, and Samuel answeredanswered:

"Speak; for Thy servant heareth."

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1 Samuel 3 1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the Word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

God had very few menfew men to whom He could speakcould speak in those days.

Almost every one was doing what was right in his right in his own eyesown eyes, following his own willhis own will.

2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; 3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; 4 That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

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5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6 And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

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7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the Word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. 8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.

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Samuel had not learnednot learned to recognize the Voice of God.

9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if He call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for Thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

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We all need to learn to respondrespond to God's Voice.

RecognizeRecognize Him as Lord, and ourselves as His servantHis servant.

He is our LordHe is our Lord!!We need to be good servantsgood servants.

10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for Thy servant hearethheareth.

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Samuel was saying, Speak Lord, for I am paying attentionpaying attention; my mindmind is focused; I

will understandunderstand and obeyobey what You say.

That is the onlyonly proper response to the Voice of GodVoice of God.

Do you know how to hearhow to hear from God?

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Spend time in His WordHis Word; give your full attentionfull attention as you read.

Give your full attentionfull attention when the Bible is being taughttaught or preachedpreached.

Pray for understandingPray for understanding.

Open your spiritual ears so that the Holy SpiritHoly Spirit can reveal God's Will.

A good servant listens -- really listensreally listens, makes sure he understandsunderstands his Lord's Will, and willingly willingly

obeysobeys.

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An inattentiveinattentive servant can nevernever please his Lord.

Proverbs 10 26 As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.

11 And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

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God said, "I am going to do an amazingamazing thing."

NotNot a good thing, as menmen would see it.

But totallytotally amazing.

12 In that day I will perform against Eliagainst Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I when I beginbegin, , I will also make an endI will also make an end.

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God finishesfinishes what He starts.

orIf God did notnot carry out His Judgments,

We could not trustnot trust His Promises.

13 For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vilemade themselves vile, and he restrained he restrained them notthem not.

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They couldn't blameblame their sin on God; nornor their death when it came.

The devildevil didn't make them do it.

The boysboys made themselves vile.

Eli did notnot stop them.

James 1 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

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Sin has a definitedefinite starting place:

In each man's own lustown lust.

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The capacity to sincapacity to sin is in each person's heart, whether we be saved or lostsaved or lost.

But sin does notnot have dominion over the saved.

The children of the devil may say in truth,

"I couldn't help myself."

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Romans 6 12 Let notLet not (choice) sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield yeNeither yield ye (choice) your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves (choice) unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over yousin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

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Christians are commanded in Romans 6 nevernever to yield ourselves unto sin.

We are commanded to yieldto yield ourselves unto GodGod and His RighteousnessHis Righteousness.

Trying to coast just won't workwon't work.

We are gonna serve somebodysomebody!

Trying to turn from sinturn from sin, while remaining free free

from righteousnessfrom righteousness, just won't work.

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Rom 6:13b yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your membersyour members as instruments of righteousnessinstruments of righteousness unto God.

When we quit sinningquit sinning, and in orderin order to quit sinning, we have to start living rightstart living right, with all our heart.

We must have no no reservationsreservations in our mind.

We must go all outgo all out for JesusJesus.

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It is almost impossible to turn from sin, unless we also turn unto righteousness.

"I am going to quit getting high, and just hang out with my friends, but not do drugs."

If I wantwant to change, I will completelycompletely change.

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When God speaks

Say as Samuel said -- "Speak; for Thy servant hearethheareth."

And dodo whatever God says is right.

Prayerfully study

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The next fifth Sunday is October 30.

We will meet at Constitution Hall in Fort O after the Sunday morning service.

Food, Fellowship, and Worship