[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Epiphany 2B

[Joe Parrish]

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-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, Jan 14, 2012 8:07 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Epiphany 2B


Dear Friends,

Tomorrow’s sermon is entitled “Listening to God” or “Good Morning,
Lord” and deals with the Old Testament lesson (1st Samuel 3: 1-10).
Here it is:

This morning, we heard the ancient story of the call of the child
Samuel- the story that we probably heard in Sunday school many years
ago, unless you’re a child and you heard it this morning.  In Sunday
school they didn’t tell you the whole story.  Actually, our Bible
lesson didn’t tell the whole story, but if you listen- you will hear
the whole story right now.  Samuel was the only child of Hannah- born
late in life after she had long since given up on the idea that she
would have a child.  She was so thankful to God for hearing her
prayers that she dedicated her infant son to the Lord’s service.  As
soon as Samuel was old enough, he went to the sanctuary at Shiloh
(kind of a temple) to serve Eli, the chief priest.  This is where our
story picks up.  We heard how Samuel was asleep after working all day,
and how he heard a voice call his name: “Samuel, Samuel.”  As you
recall, he assumed Eli had called him, but when he went to check, Eli
had said not a thing, so Samuel went back to bed.  Again he heard the
voice calling his name, and again he ran in to Eli, but again the old
priest had not called.  When Samuel heard the voice call his name the
third time, Eli realized something significant was happening, so he
told Samuel to say, “I’m listening, Lord.  What do you want me to
do?”  When Samuel did as Eli suggested, God answered and told Samuel
what to do.  Do you know what God said?  God told Samuel that Eli’s
sons would not succeed him as the chief priest at Shiloh, because they
were misusing their privileges.  It was almost as if they were the
first corrupt evangelists.  They were imitating the surrounding
culture and were trying to turn the sanctuary at Shiloh into a brothel
like all the pagan temples around.  So God said, enough is enough-
Eli, train Samuel; he’ll be next priest in charge.  That’s what
happened.  Samuel had trouble hearing God’s voice, and many times so
do we.

Did you hear the story of the Sunday school teacher who was trying to
help her little children learn to listen to Jesus, so she asked,
“Where is Jesus?”  One sweet little boy said that Jesus was in
heaven.  Another smart little girl proclaimed that Jesus was in her
heart.  Finally little Johnny raised his hand and said, “Teacher,
they’re all wrong.  I know exactly where Jesus is!”  “Where?” asked
the teacher, wondering what in the world he would say.  “He’s in our
bathroom!” answered Johnny with a sense of certainty.  “In your
bathroom?!” responded the teacher.  “Why in the world would you think
Jesus is in your bathroom, Johnny?”  “Well,” said Johnny, “every
morning, my father gets up, bangs on the bathroom door, and
yells, ‘Good Lord, are you still in there?!’”  We laugh, but are you
close enough to God to recognize his voice?  Let’s look at what gets
in the way.  What interferes in your life so you have trouble hearing
God’s voice and recognizing God’s call when you hear it?

THEREFORE, WHAT INTERFERES WITH OUR ABILITY TO LISTEN WHEN GOD CALLS?
OUR SINFUL SELFISH NATURES.  Do you remember this conch shell?  I last
showed it to you back in January, 2009.  As you know, we’re not
talking about the sound of the ocean, we’re talking about the voice of
God, but the process has similarities.  Has anyone ever done this?  I
have.  Do you remember what we’re really hearing?  It’s not the sound
of the ocean.  When all outside sounds are muffled by the shell, what
we hear is the rush and beat of our own blood- which sounds like the
ocean.  Something like this sometimes happens when we try to listen to
God.  We are so full of ourselves that instead of listening, we take
to bossing.  We tell God what we want instead of asking what God
wants.  Did you notice Paul’s warning to his church in Corinth in
verse 12 when he said, “Some of you say, ‘We can do anything we want
to.’”  How many people do you know like this?  Where does that kind of
attitude lead?  Sure, it leads to sin and confusion and pain and life-
diminishing consequences.  Eli’s son’s were so busy trying to turn
Shiloh into a modern temple full of prostitutes that they didn’t
listen to what God wanted.  In Paul’s time, Corinth had a temple to
the pagan god Aphrodite with 1,000 slaves as prostitutes- both male
and female.  Anybody who was anybody went to that temple and did their
thing every time they wanted a baby or a fertile field.  When you make
your decisions, when you make your choices, whose voice are you
listening to- God’s or your own?

WHAT INTERFERES?  SIN THAT KEEPS US FROM CHURCH AND GETTING CLOSER TO
GOD.  Sometimes it’s past sin.  We’ve done some terrible things in our
lives, and we just don’t feel worthy to come to church.  Remember
Paul?  He considered himself among the worst of sinners, because he
persecuted the church of Christ.  Yet, he became one of the greatest
missionary bishops who ever lived.  Your past is just the college of
life; God can use your past sins to touch present lives.  Perhaps it’s
not past sin- maybe it’s present sin.  You’ve got sin right now in
your life, and you don’t really want to give it up.  Tell me, how will
you ever get the courage to get your life on track without the Lord?
Don’t wait until you’re perfect.  Listen to the words of that old
song, “Just as I Am,” and come as you are.  Then see what God does
with you over time.  No pressure; no promises- just start or renew
that relationship with God.

WHAT INTERFERES?  A BITTER, POISONED SPIRIT.  Why do you think Jesus
reminds us in the Lord’s prayer, “Forgive us our sins AS (i.e. the
same way) we forgive those who sin against us”?  A poisoned spirit
blocks the wires, the message can’t get through.  Forgive anybody
you’re mad at.  Your anger doesn’t hurt them, it only hurts you by
poisoning your spirit and blocking your access to God.  We celebrate
The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday tomorrow.  What if the Dr.
King had allowed the evil people he encountered to poison his spirit?
Our nation would not even approach being “the land of the free and the
home of the brave,” much less “one nation under God.”  And- I’m making
a guess that Barack Obama would not be our president today.

WHAT INTERFERES?  BUSYNESS!  The thought for the week reminds us that
“God gave us mouths that close and ears that do not- which should tell
us something” (C.H. Spurgeon).  Did you notice when it was that God
spoke to Samuel?  Sure, in the middle of the night.  Maybe Samuel was
so busy waiting on Eli and doing his chores, that night was the only
time God could get through.  Think of the shell again.  What’s the
first thing you must do if you want to hear the ocean in the shell?
Sure, stop and be still and really focus and then wait and listen.  No
matter how busy your life is, if you want God as your daily companion,
if you want the power, if you want the peace, if you want to do
anything but rush through life- experience by experience, you’ve
simply got to find a time to stop and focus and say your prayers and
read something about the Word, and confess your sins and listen to him
as you organize your priorities for the day.  You know how some people
force themselves awake, stumble out of bed, and mutter, “Good Lord,
it’s morning.”  Don’t you be that way.  When you open your eyes, don’t
say, “Good Lord, it’s morning!”  Instead, say “Good morning, Lord.”
Then shut off the radio, shut off the TV, say your prayers, and give
God your day.  You’ll notice the difference.

May God bless us all as we plan our lives to listen to God before we
get going on our own agendas.  Amen.

For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American
wisdom statements are posted on our parish web site. The address is:
http://www.stpaulsepisag.com .

Blessed preaching,
Judy Boli
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Saginaw, Michigan

 
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