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[0:01] Let's pray a second. Lord, we thank you. Lord, our King, and have us in your hands.

[0:15] ! We've been journeying through all the key characters, one after another, these last a lot of weeks.

[0:43] The services of the summertime, we'll get back to you. But for today, one Samuel, two verses. The boy Samuel, before the Lord, under Eli.

[1:02] In those days, there were not many visions. One night, Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak, was lying down in his usual place.

[1:13] The lamp of God had not yet been in the house of the Lord where the ark of God was. Then Samuel answered, Here I am.

[1:28] And he ran to Eli. And said, Here I am. I call. Go back and lie down. So he went and lay down. Again, the Lord called Samuel. And Samuel got up.

[1:38] You called me, my son. Eli said, I did not call. Go back and lie down. Now Samuel said, The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

[1:51] The Lord called Samuel. And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, Here I am. You called me. Then he was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, Go and lie down.

[2:04] And if he calls you, say, Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. They're calling as at the other times. Samuel, Samuel.

[2:15] Then Samuel said, Speak for your servant. Amen. The Lord blesses.

[2:25] Already the World Cup has well and truly started. It came early hours of this morning with that perfect score.

[2:36] So we've started well. And in the world of football, starting well is vital.

[2:52] Early on and getting plenty of hands-on experience is vital. As it all enables the athlete's possible start.

[3:08] The best possible start in their sport. And it is certainly sad when, unfortunately, a sports player gets settled.

[3:21] Begins to look around and wonders what they might be missing. And the training, the practice, the focus lapses.

[3:33] Do quite so well. And in some cases, there's a great coach who helps get them back on track. They get refocused, retrained.

[3:47] And therefore, but sometimes there's not a coach who jumps in. Or sometimes, even if there is the ability, the desire to get refocused.

[4:02] And sadly, such ones never recover. And as well as they could have. Samuel. Samuel.

[4:20] Samuel of Israel. And the book of 1 Samuel was written. Samuel's life and work as judge.

[4:32] B. The last days of thy judges. C. C. The coming about and initiation of Israel.

[4:42] And D. The life and work of Saul. The first king. All in one Samuel. It tells us exactly what happened.

[4:55] And it's great. Words such as the judge-king transition. The lives of... But there is just as many sad and tragic endings.

[5:11] In its early chapters, we read of Eli. Eli was serving as the current high priest. And for Eli to have made it to such a position of high priest of Israel.

[5:24] We assume the guy certainly must have started off well. Very well. He would have had a deep, close relationship with God.

[5:39] Of his interaction with Hannah, if you remember that. Samuel's mother. The account of his interaction. And coaching Samuel, of course. They show he knew how to follow God.

[5:52] To follow God well. Yes. Eli. With God. Very, very, very well indeed.

[6:06] Life didn't quite end so well. He at some point took his eyes in training. And for all his great training of Samuel.

[6:20] In coaching his own sons. He failed in looking after the ark. To the glory of God. The ark of the covenant. And so by his end.

[6:33] One of his sons were judged by God. One. And two. The sacred ark of the covenant. Of which he had a response. He had fallen into the hands of unbelievers.

[6:46] And so in the end. Well. At all. And Eli's. Finishing traits are so. That it even marks. The decline.

[6:58] Of the influence of the high priest tradition. for God to prioritize the calling of prophets, to call his people back.

[7:09] Here he comes along Samuel. Now Samuel, dedicated to God's service by his mother, Hannah.

[7:22] There in the temple, I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I ask for his whole life, he will be given over to the Lord.

[7:34] And he worshiped. And so young Samuel got busy training, got busy exercising in the ways of God.

[7:46] He got focused on Scripture. Yes, he had started out extremely well. He was a sports player. He was in full action.

[7:59] In fact, he starts so well, young age, as he sleeps, God calls Samuel, Samuel. All rather confused.

[8:11] Running back and forth to Eli. I'm here, you called. Did you call me? He didn't, did you? This event in Samuel's life was him. But it is also a significant account in Scripture.

[8:28] Because let's note here, Samuel lived in the courts of God. He lay down to sleep in the house of the Lord where the ark was.

[8:42] Was in a well and truly deep place with God. It's Samuel, yeah. When God speaks, he has no idea who God is.

[8:54] He did not yet know the Lord. Now the learning outcome is being in a church, performing religious duties, being a pastor, a deacon, whatever else does not automatically mean you know God.

[9:16] At Suffolk Cathedral in London at a special anniversary event, actually knowing God personally, the actual bishop became a Christian that same night saying he never actually knew God.

[9:34] I suppose over the centuries, British culture grew a common connection to your local church. You're attending the special yearly events meant you were stripped.

[9:49] The ones who work in there, they are the hardcore ones. It's a massive, massive deceiving lie. You, other ministers who do this have a good, clean job.

[10:01] And that's about it. You have many, many church goers all over the country who don't know God. And they're not Christians. If, if you have perhaps been to Westerhills Baptist Church but have never actually started a real lesson, then take the advice from Samuel's life and come before him.

[10:29] Began his relationship with God by very simply saying, Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening. Saying this, he voiced that he believed in God.

[10:43] He actively showed he had faith in God. And a little bit of faith for him. And so for you, it would begin a similar way.

[10:56] You talk to God, you believe in him. Tell him you love him. And like Samuel, he will do all. But what about us?

[11:06] We have indeed we are feeling like our friendship with God is a little quiet. You know, we did indeed start out well, very well.

[11:21] But over the years, we got tired, we got burdened, we got busy, and our communication with God has elapsed, and we're now not quite sure how to get back on track.

[11:36] And we would love to we're not sure how to hear from him. Take some learning from Eli. For when Samuel was in such a place to hear from the Lord, Eli told Samuel, go and lie down.

[11:57] And if he called, he was listening. And so Samuel went and lay down, and the Lord called, Samuel, Samuel, and Samuel said, speak, Lord, your servant. It's about learning to recognize, respond, and serve.

[12:12] And it's about the posture of listening. People often ask God to speak, but he pause and create space to hear from him.

[12:27] And said, speak, Lord, your servant is listening. And he intentionally, on a way that he personally could hear back from God.

[12:40] If I'm asking the Lord about something quietly, whilst I listen, an old colleague of mine goes and gardens to some gardening. To work for you, walking, running, gardening, lying down, or whatever else, you need to put yourself in a quiet position where after you've asked God for something, you can, for it's all about getting on with that deep, intimate, personal, friendship desires with us.

[13:13] And that's where Samuel started out at. He was going to, and this same Samuel becomes Israel's last judge and his prophets, followed by the king anointer and finally the royal counsellor.

[13:30] war. But sadly, even Samuel was not a story that finished purely. For like Eli's sons, Samuel's sons were taking bribes and perverting justice.

[13:51] And this sadly, in fact, it was the nail in the head that made the people finally reject the priests. and instead demand a king.

[14:04] What an episode that was. So well. That ended in a massive disaster. And what came, well, going on with Saul when we come back to that.

[14:18] As for Samuel, the kingmaker, the counsellor, he was a necessary trans called by God to be the main servant that would see Israel through these major changes, the gap between the era of corrupt judges and the establishment of Israel's monarchy.

[14:43] God's true kingship, even when the people in ignorance demanded an earthenance. And the first of those were Saul. As I said, we'll come back to have another week.

[14:58] Look, starting strong is crucial, but finishing well, constant faithfulness. Finishing well requires the Christian to take Old Cup footballer, or as the Apostle Paul put it, in general, the athlete.

[15:18] He says this goes into strict training. The emphasis being, we need practicing, we need to be in scripture, prayer, quatums, we need to learn more, the acts of the flesh, and strive towards the fruits of the spirit.

[15:36] We need to keep training, being repentant, doing works, helping the poor and the prisoners, we need to keep looking after the buildings and the artists' glory, we need to keep training in evangelism and witnessing, we need to keep practicing the love of Jesus.

[15:51] The athlete, it takes constant training and practice. For if you don't, I could all end for you. Have a look at King Saul, maybe in the next week or so, read those accounts.

[16:05] For the world, they're subject to laps like Saul. So, keep the faith, fight the good, fight it.

[16:16] And here's the absolute, simplest way, Jesus. Just be with Jesus. Jesus promises, if you just keep in with them, then he will make sure you do well.

[16:30] He will empower you and keep you and hold you forever. We as a church, we're going to take communion, to remember for all that he did, to enable us to have this perfect relationship.

[16:48] Know Jesus like we've described here. Then please join us. If it once was, well, that's okay for now anyway. Just let it pass by or think, reflect, ask the Lord to speak, try praying.

[17:04] And so on that note, let's pray. Lord, we do indeed thank you for the life. We do indeed thank you for how you called him, how you enabled him to come and follow you, Lord, and how you gave him everything he needed.

[17:27] But we acknowledge when he simply said, speak, Lord, your servant is listening. Equip us on high, Lord, to do the same.

[17:40] And enable us to always run the race, keep the faith. In Jesus' name, Amen. Amen, indeed. Okay. Amen, grace. See you at six, if you're around.

[18:00] and so to him and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and of great joy. Glory, majesty, power, and authority through Jesus Christ, our Lord, before all ages.