1 Sam 3:1-11
¹ Meanwhile little Samuel was helping the Lord by assisting Eli. Messages from the Lord were very rare in those days, ² but one night after Eli had gone to bed  (he was almost blind with age by now), and Samuel was sleeping in the Temple near the Ark, ⁴ the Lord called out, "Samuel! Samuel!" "Yes?" Samuel replied. "What is it?" He jumped up and ran to Eli. "Here I am. What do you want?" he asked. "I didn't call you," Eli said. "Go on back to bed." So he did. ⁶ Then the Lord called again, "Samuel!" And again Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli. "Yes?" he asked. "What do you need?" "No, I didn't call you, my son," Eli said. "Go on back to bed." ⁷ (Samuel had never had a message from Jehovah before.) ⁸ So now the Lord called the third time, and once more Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli. "Yes?" he asked. "What do you need?" Then Eli realized it was the Lord who had spoken to the child. ⁹ So he said to Samuel, "Go and lie down again, and if he calls again, say, 'Yes, Lord, I'm listening.'" So Samuel went back to bed. ¹⁰ And the Lord came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Yes, I'm listening." ¹¹ Then the Lord said to Samuel, "I am going to do a shocking thing in Israel.

1 Sam 3:9-11
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. ¹⁰ And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. 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.

This morning I would like to address the theme of the "fulfilling the ministries in Christ". To fulfill the ministries in Christ we need to hear God speak.
Our opening text in Samuel illustrates for us the process involved in being able to hear God speak to us. Samuel needed to position himself to be able to hear from God.
So this morning I want to share some real simple and practical things about positioning ourselves so that we can hear from God for ourselves.

Eph 4:15 "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ"
1 Pet 2:2 "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby ," (KJV)

To begin with I would like to make a real simple and yet profound statement. We don't begin to grow in God until we hear his voice. Hearing the voice of God should be the most basic and foundational thing we learn as new Christians.
Countless Christians are tired of fleshly hype and hoopla and simply desire to hear the voice of God for themselves. Hearing God is encountering life and every child of God has a birthright to hear the voice of God.

Heb 8:10-11
10 This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. ¹¹ No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.

John 10:1-14
¹ Anyone refusing to walk through the gate into a sheepfold, who sneaks over the wall, must surely be a thief! ² For a shepherd comes through the gate. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice and come to him; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ He walks ahead of them; and they follow him, for they recognize his voice. ⁵ They won't follow a stranger but will run from him, for they don't recognize his voice." ⁶ Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn't understand what he meant, ⁷ so he explained it to them. "I am the Gate for the sheep," he said. ⁸ "All others who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. ⁹ Yes, I am the Gate. Those who come in by way of the Gate will be saved and will go in and out and find green pastures. ¹⁰ The thief 's purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. ¹¹ "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² A hired man will run when he sees a wolf coming and will leave the sheep, for they aren't his and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf leaps on them and scatters the flock. ¹³ The hired man runs because he is hired and has no real concern for the sheep. ¹⁴ "I am the Good Shepherd and know my own sheep, and they know me,

If you have accepted Christ as your personal savior and have entered into this new covenant with God then you have a birthright to hear from God. You are a child of God and a sheep in his fold according to the parable Jesus spoke in John. 10:3-4 "my sheep hear my voice."

Brand new Christians nearly always have a wonderful experience those first few weeks in their Christian walk. The new birth has ignited their young spirits with the Holy Spirit and they can clearly identify the voice of God. As weeks turn into months, however, the new believer generally experiences less and less of the lord's voice. Why? Because distractions have begun to take over. Most of all have been taught the important in ministry, serving in the body of Christ so being sincere Christian leaders or with our own willingness involve in the ministry – actively involve in the church activities, having a job or a title, or doing special projects and busy in the ministry. Yet nothing is being done to train this spiritual babe to exercise his spirit by listening to the lord.

Matt 11:28-30
²⁸ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Not only is this young Christian robbed of learning to develop familiarity and trust with the voice of the spirit in his inner man, but he is taught to look for Godly information elsewhere. All emphasis is to look on the outside and not the inside. His spiritual growth stops because communion with the Holy Spirit has stopped. In reality, all outside stimulus and information should be used to confirm what God is speaking to our hearts about first. There is nothing wrong with outside information just so long as it is consistent with the written word of God and with what he is hearing in the inner man.

Heb 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Again, Jesus said, "my sheep hear my voice and they follow Me." he didn't say they follow the denominational headquarters, or a popular or gifted teacher. He didn't say my sheep listen to teaching tapes or read books or even memorize bible verses, but they know his voice and follow him.

Matt 13:3-9
³ Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop-- a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹ He who has ears, let him hear."

Matt 13:18-23
¹⁸ Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: ¹⁹ When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. ²⁰ The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy ²¹ But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. ²² The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. ²³ But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

To be quite truthful about this matter of hearing the voice of God, all Christians do hear from God, but many don't even know it or don't credit him when he does speak to them. The devil has issued a universal assignment to obstruct our hearing, because he knows that the Christians who are in intimate communion with the Holy Spirit are a serious threat to his kingdom. Those who hear God are capable of knowing the mind of the spirit and receiving strategies in prayer, which will expose the enemy's tactics. Yet we cannot put all the blame on the devil for it is really the lack of proper direction that has robbed us. We have substituted religious activity and busyness for training our young spirits to be resilient in hearing the lord.

Heb 5:11-14
¹¹ Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. ¹³ For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. ¹⁴ But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

The implication in Heb 5:11 is that every new Christian is born with perfect spiritual ears and 20/20 spiritual vision but a lack of training and discipline to hear the voice of God and to see him move has produced a dullness of hearing. Although we may grow in knowledge about the word of God, our spirit man doesn't necessarily grow. Information about the bible doesn't guarantee the revelation of the Holy Spirit. Hearing from God for yourself is normal Christianity. This teaching will help you to begin an adventure of hearing the voice of God.

Rom 8:6-7
⁶ For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.⁷ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Rom 8:14 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

Now a true mark of Christian maturity is being able to hear the voice of God for yourself. Another way of say this is that a mature Christian is one who has learned to overlook what the 5 natural senses are telling him because God is leading and guiding him by his spiritual ears and his spiritual eyes. Dependence on the five senses is a mark of immaturity. If you always have to feel something of see manifestation of God's power to believe or to trust in his leading then your faith is very deficient and you are an immature Christian. How many of you know that God loves you too much to leave you there so he begins to teach us how to rely upon the leading and promptings of the Holy Spirit. But in order to do that he has to restrict the information that he is sending to the five senses. When this begins to happen we begin to grow and our faith begins to develop. Now, faith comes by hearing the word of God according to.

Rom 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God".

Deut 8:2-3
² And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. ³ And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

2 Tim 3:16-17
¹⁶ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness ¹⁷ That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

There is no question that God speaks to us through the written word, which is known as the logos in the Greek. The scriptures are a gold mine of treasure that covers every aspect of life. But its one thing to read a book and quite another thing to know its author. Until the author, the Holy Spirit, reveals the words to you and make it come alive, its only ink on paper. Without the help of the Holy Spirit we will not experience the flow of life that comes through the written word of God. Now here's a simple truth about the written word of God that is so basic that I shouldn't need to mention it. The written word is telling us that God really wants to speak to us and that he has a lot of things to say and to communicate to us. As Christians we should not only live by studying the written word of God but we should also derive life by the proceeding word of God as found Deut. 8:2-3. Jesus also quotes this verse in the N.T. when He is tempted in the wilderness:

Matt 4:3-4
³ And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. ⁴ But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

We can define the proceeding word of God by that which comes forth from God in a personal and intimate way. The distinctive mark of being a N.T. Christian is more than believing the bible, its more than agreeing with good doctrine and living a righteous life. The Christian life is hearing and communicating with the Holy Spirit. Now Zechariah is a good example of someone who had no difficulty with the written word of God but stumbled head over heels when it came to receiving the proceeding word of God. We read in:

Luke 1:5-20
⁵ There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. ⁶ And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. ⁷ And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. ⁸ And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, ⁹ According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. ¹⁰ And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. ¹¹ And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. ¹⁴ And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵ For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. ¹⁶ And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to makeready a people prepared for the Lord. ¹⁸ And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. ¹⁹ And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. ²⁰ And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

Here's a prime example of a man who didn't have difficulty in receiving the written word of God and obeying it. Verse 6 describes Zechariah " and they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the lord blameless". Here we see are card carrying member of Christianity. He and his wife are blameless, walking in the commandments of God and yet he is unable to receive a present or proceeding word of God for his life.

We need to understand that Christianity is far more than a set of beliefs based on the written word of God but it's a personal covenant relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. It is nothing new that we know that the Holy Spirit is the communicator. He helps us to communicate with God and he communicates the proceeding word of God to the believer.

I read that in America having breakfast in burger king. One of the perks for eating there is that you can read a free copy of the newspaper.  In fact, this 30-cent newspaper is in such high demand in the early morning that many people will fight to get it.

I believe that God has a daily newspaper for every child of God. He wants to speak to us about the things, which are going to happen to us throughout the day. He's got the inside scoop on all the major news that is happening around the world and in our lives. We just need to position ourselves at the beginning of the day to listen for God. This is one reason why you should spend time with God every morning.

Prov 8:34-35 "Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord."

Now how many of you have gone into bookstore late in the afternoon and seen that the newspaper is no longer in high demand. Why? Because its all old news by that time. God has important things he wants to say to us at the beginning of our day so that we can have a good day and buy up every opportunity he gives us to glorify him and serve him.

Matt 6:6 "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you".

Now, there are several things that can hinder a Christian from hearing the voice of God but one of the most deceitful and diabolical strategies of the adversary is noise pollution. There is a war going on in the spirit world and the devil is competing for your attention.

Just as the fast food franchises compete for your business so the devil is competing for your attention through noise pollution. From advertising to billboards to the radio or the TV there is a constant backdrop of noise. It wasn't too long ago when the TV went off the air at midnight but now you have 24 hr a day TV and 5- -30 channels to choose from. I mean, but God help you cause you could watch TV nonstop until Jesus comes back. It is the devil's strategy to flood our being with earthly information with noise and so restrict our ability to hear from God through distractions.

The phrase, "when you pray" in matt.6 is really talking about communicating with God. If your prayer time is always consumed with your telling God things or asking God for things then you aren't really entering into the kind of prayer time God wants you to have. Prayer is suppose to be a dialogue not a monologue. We are supposed to hear from God when we pray. (Most of the time we just dump on God when we pray) normal Christianity is being able to walk with God and to hear his voice on a daily basis.

1 Cor 2:9-12
⁹ But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. ¹⁰ But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit, which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

God doesn't usually speak to us from the outside in but rather from the inside out. Your spiritual ears represent your heart or your spirit. When you are born again your spirit man comes alive and becomes the basis for all your communication with the father. God is a spirit and those that worship him must do so in spirit and in truth. God does not speak to your mind first but to your heart or spirit. The mind or intelligence of man is one of the greatest deterrents of hearing from God.

1 Cor 2:14 "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

Ps 5:3 "In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."

One of the best times to hear from God is when your mind is not fully engaged. For me that usually happens just before I fully wake up in the morning. Sometimes it happens when I'm taking a shower because I am relaxed and my mind isn't getting in the way of hearing from God. Whenever God speaks to you in your day you should make it a habit to have a notebook or a piece of paper handy to write down what God says to you. When you do this you are indicating to God that you expect to hear from him. You see, expectation pulls virtue out of God. Now, why should you write down what God says to you. First of all its an act of expectation, you expect God to talk to you. Second, you will be amazed at how quickly you can forget what God has said to you. So live with the expectation that God wants to talk with you and cultivate a sensitivity to the voice of the holy spirit in your heart. You need to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God wants to speak to you and that he wants you to hear his voice. This can be clearly seen in on the first day of Pentecost in:

Exod. 20:18-20
¹⁸ And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. ¹⁹ And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. ²⁰ And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

Fifty days after the children of Israel were delivered out of Egypt God appeared to his people on the mountain and wanted to begin to speak to them. The people were afraid of God and didn't want to converse with him so God spoke to the people through mosses.

But we can see what God's intentions were, he wanted to speak to the people directly. I want you to know this morning that God hasn't changed. He wants to speak to you and me. We must come to God with an expectancy and not with a fear which turns away from God.

Many people don't want God to speak to them because they are afraid of what he might say or because then they would have to become accountable for what God has spoken to them. Guilt will restrict your ability to hear from God. But if our heart does not condemn us, the scripture says, then do we have confidence and expectation from God.

Let's determine in our hearts this morning that we will posture ourselves to hear from God. That we will come to God with an expectancy and cultivate a sensitivity to the holy spirit and remain open and teachable through this teaching on hearing God's voice. This is normal and natural Christianity at its best!!!