Rev. Roland J. Wells, Jr. - Pastor

Epiphany 2 - January 19, 2003

Lessons: 1 Samuel 3:1-20; Romans 11:29-33; John 1:43-51

"Jesus Calls"

Introduction:

Ten years ago this spring it was a tense time in the Wells home. Timmy was trying out for the elite baseball league. He tried out, doing well both days of the two-day tryout. They were choosing about a dozen boys out of a couple hundred. He waited by the phone. Finally the call came. He was chosen. But he didn't know he was chosen until he received the call. The Call.

I) A Main Bible Theme

A) The Story of Samuel's Call

As we study the Bible, we find a handful of themes that are repeated and repeated throughout God's interaction with people. One of these is our God is a God who calls people to be his and to do his special tasks. Today we see this theme in the call of little Samuel and the call of the Disciples. In otherwise ordinary days, ordinary people experienced the call of the living God.

B) Do We Expect God's Presence Here?

As you come to church to worship; as you come here and serve, teaching Sunday School, maybe helping paint or clean up, or maybe here for a youth meeting- do you expect to have an encounter with the Living God? Like Samuel, if God were to call you, would you understand that call? Samuel did. The disciples did.

II) A God who Surprises us with His Gracious Call

A) A Surprising Grace

That's the story. A real, regular person serving in the temple one night, and all of a sudden, he's got more than he expected. Sometimes a chance encounter can change your life.

This is a true story. A few years ago, a man was driving down the road in his old pickup on the east coast, when he noticed a stretch limo on the side of the road with the hood up. He stopped to ask the driver he could use some help.

The driver said, "Yes. I have no idea what the problem is." The man looked around under the hood for a few minutes, discovered the problem, and was able to fix it. The limo started up immediately and began running smoothly.

The driver thanked the man and offered to pay him. "Not necessary," the man said. "Just glad to help." He began walking back to his car when the rear window of the limo opened and a voice called out to the man. The man looked in the window and saw Donald Trump sitting in the back seat. Trump said, "Thank you very much for your help. What can I do to repay you?" At first the man said, "You don't need to do anything." Then he had a thought. "Mr. Trump," he said, "My wife would be thrilled to get a box of flowers from you. Would you do that for me?" Donald Trump said, "Consider it done. What is your address?"

The man told Donald Trump his address. He later said he only half-expected to hear from him the next day. Sure enough, the next day a delivery truck pulled up with a box of flowers addressed to the man's wife. The note inside said something to effect of... "Dear Mrs. Smith: You are lucky to have for a husband such a caring and kind person. When I offered him payment for his act of kindness he thought only of you. These flowers are for you. Signed, Donald Trump." Then the P.S. said, "By the way, I have paid off your mortgage at the bank. You now own your house free and clear."

That was a surprise of grace. That was a surprise of grace, after seeing a need, perceiving a call, and answering the call.

B) Samuel is Surprised by Grace

Samuel was surprised by grace in the Temple. God, in his grace and mercy revealed himself to Samuel, and his life would never be the same. He had been touched by God and his life was claimed. Then God called and Samuel said 'Here I am.'

Here we are today, telling this story some 2,700 years later. Jesus has come, he has died for our sins and raised for our forgiveness. His Spirit has been poured out on all who trust in Christ. Our Bible promises us that (Acts 2:17-18) 'In these days- I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

[18] Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

III) That Surprising Grace and Call Come to You!

A) The Promise of the Spirit

Today, although we rarely begin to realize it, the same Holy Spirit that spoke through Samuel lives in all Christians' hearts. If you trust in Jesus, his Holy Spirit indwells you. Back in Samuel's day, 1000 years before Jesus, only one or two in a generation were indwelt by the Spirit. Later on, 300-400 years before Jesus, as we've said a couple times lately, the people were very aware that the Spirit was not in evidence among God's people.

Are you aware of the presence of God's Holy Spirit in your life today? Do you ever stop and think about his presence in your life? Are you wasting it? The same presence of God that called Samuel-- are you aware of it this morning? Are you wasting it?

God's call on our lives is more than just the 'special' calls like missionaries and pastors. God has his call on your life, even today. His call deals with not only our jobs, but our priorities, our time, our willingness to serve, our hopes, our dreams, where we live, who we marry, where we go to school, our friends, neighbors, how we spend our time- All believers, at all times of life have calls. God has his will for your lives even now, day by day.

B) A Call for Young People

Young people- as you make so many huge choices --do you see these in terms of God's will? Those of you who are in junior high and high school-- in the next ten years you will make most of the biggest decisions of your life. You'll decide how much education you will receive. You will decide on an occupation. You will probably meet the love of your life and marry. You will choose many of your life-long friends. You will decide where you are going to live. You will decide to have babies. You will decide pretty much who you are for the rest of your lives in the next ten years.

Much of it, however is being decided by you right now. Right now, in junior high and high school, your are setting your sights and deciding what kind of people you will be. Some make bad choices, and shut off many options by having babies before you're married. I wouldn't choose that route for you, either for boy or girl, because it will be a great cause of pain in your life.

Please decide to leave the baby making for a time when you are married to someone mature, who will join you in parenting your child, at a time when you can provide for that baby and love it as much as you want to. Babies are so precious that they deserve to have you prepare the best life you can for them.

So many decisions have to be made, do you understand that God wants to help you with them? The most important thing I can do to help you into a good future is to teach you this. God has a good plan for your life. You, as an individual. The choices you make today will affect your family's life for the rest of your life. You are playing for keeps.

The famous psychologist Abraham Maslow wrote: "If you deliberately plan to be less than you are capable of being, then I warn you that you'll be unhappy for the rest of your lives." -

That's on the negative side. More importantly, as you follow God's best plan for your life, you will live the life, answer the call God created you to have.

C) Been There, Done That

In my own life, I looked at what I enjoyed and what I was good at, and decided in ninth grade that I was going to be a professional symphony musician or music teacher. I began to work hard for that, I had a goodly amount of success and a lot of fun. My mom always encouraged me to aim high. She said I should also think about being a doctor or a lawyer or a pastor. I answered that I didn't like blood, lawyers were boring and I didn't think I'd want to talk in front of people. I kept reading my Bible, was active in my church and pressed on. I entered college with the same plan, and then God began to push me harder. I experienced the infilling of the Holy Spirit at the end of fall quarter of my freshman year. I attended Campus Crusade's mass youth rally, 'Explo 72' in Dallas.

God kept nudging me. I thought that music was my life. Then I cut my finger severely, and discovered that I didn't miss practicing for six weeks. I still had doubts about whether I could follow Jesus close enough to be a pastor. Explo 72 and the first Lutheran Holy Spirit conference drew me closer. I didn't think I could organize people enough to be a pastor, but then I was given the summer of '73 to organize a drop-in center at my church. I realize now that I had been organizing people ever since little league and Boy Scouts. I didn't see that then.

Then the fall of '73 I needed a job to pay for school. I still didn't know if I was material for church leadership. Then some Kids from a neighboring church came to me and asked me to be their youth director. God was getting me cornered, knocking down my excuses, one by one. Finally, I changed my major and headed toward seminary. When I graduated from sem, I knew I'd be in the outer suburbs, and that my lifetime ministry would probably be with music and youth. Little did I know then that the creativity of music, the organizing ability of an only child who wanted to play sandlot baseball, and the flexibility of a jazz musician would send me into a situation like this. But nobody on this planet has a more interesting and exciting job than I do. Life is good, when you're at the place God has called you. Life is an adventure, and if we're willing to follow, God will put us where he has created us to be. And that's the only safe place, the only good place to be.

This pastor's call thing can be tricky: ...A minister had just resigned his position as pastor in order to answer the call of another congregation. A lady in the congregation came to him and said, "Pastor, we hate to see you go. Things will never be the same again." The pastor said, "Oh don't worry, Mrs. Johnson. I'm sure the Lord will send you a new pastor better than me." Mrs. Johnson said, "Well, that's what the last several pastors have said, but they keep getting worse and worse."

D) A Call for All

You can trust your God to lead, guide and keep leading and correcting along the way. Let go and trust him. Samuel found that to be true. So did the disciples.

Young people, today would you consider telling Jesus that you'll follow him all the way? Where ever he leads? That's the most important step you can take in your life. Will you let it all go so that he can give it back to you, perfect? Is following him number one in your life? How about you older folks? As we go to our time of prayer this morning, hear that call. Invitation, Amen.

Epiphany 2 - January 19, 2003

1 Samuel 3:1-10

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

[2] One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual 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.

Samuel answered, "Here I am." [5] And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."

But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down.

[6] Again the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."

"My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down."

[7] Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

[8] The LORD called Samuel a third time, 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. [9] 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.

[10] The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!"

Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

Romans 11:29-33

for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. [30] Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, [31] so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. [32] For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.

[33] O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

John 1:43-51

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."

[44] Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. [45] Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

[46] "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.

"Come and see," said Philip.

[47] When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

[48] "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."

[49] Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

[50] Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." [51] He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."