The Call of Samuel - Sermon by Canon James Juhari

 

Epiphany 2

OT: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20)

NT: Revelation 5:1-10

Gospel: John 1:43-end

Sermon

Eighteen years ago I preached on this Old Testament text from this pulpit during the Diocesan Youth Sunday.  Last Sunday I spoke about the baptism of Jesus and the revelation of the Trinity.  I then spoke about our belief in God the Father and its implications on our relationship with Him and our obedience to our human fathers.  

This morning I am inviting you to reflect on 1 Samuel 3: 1-10, which is on the call of samuel, when he was about 12 years old.  Before going deeper into the story. I want to touch on the background of the story.  Samuel was the son of Elkanah and Hannah.  When Samuel was still a baby, his mother dedicated him to God, and he had been living with Eli the Priest in the temple.   Eli had two sons, Hophni and Phinneas, who also served as priests.  But they disobeyed the Lord and paid no attention as to what their father said.  Due to Eli’s lack of control over his sons, and his lax attitude in fulfilling his responsibilities of a father, God was going to take the priesthood away from Eli’s family; his descendent will die at a young age; and God would raise a new young leader.  

 I want to use this Old Testament reading to help you understand that God has a plan for young people to fulfil His purpose, and its implications on our relations as parents and guardians in raising up our children.  All through the Bible we read true accounts where God used young people to serve Him: Joseph who was sold by his own brothers as a slave, but ended up as a governor in Egypt, David a shepherd boy who became king, and Daniel who was thrown into a lions’ den, to name a few.  God has plan even for children.  This was what Jesus said about children in Mark 10: 14 & 15: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”  A more extreme case was Jeremiah. God told him: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1: 5)

 This is the biblical basis for our children and youth ministry in church. And it is within the will of God that young people should be given some roles in church and the larger community.  We are thankful that the general attitude of church leadership in the Diocese towards young people in church have changed over the years; and the fact that our church always have young people who are willing to help and make a difference for the community.    

However, there are parents who do not share the same concern, and commitment to God is not in their list of priorities. They think that young people should not waste their time thinking about God now.  I agree that young people should study hard, aim for high education and get good careers, or even aim for the highest possible positions in society.  But I also believe that while they pursue all these, they also need to be brought up knowing and loving Jesus.  

When our young people leave homes for further studies, and start mixing with their peers, something can happen to their Christian life.  Many things can cause young people to lose their faith in Christ. It may be the pressure to achieve success, the influences of friends and companionships of whoever they come into contact with. It is in our sinful human nature to look after ourselves and tend to our personal wants and wishes first. We all have the tendency to look for the easiest means and ways. Careers, friends, popularity, and the love and opportunity that wealth brings – these are the things that attract young people and can take them away from Jesus.  

In parishes where there are still Mission Schools that have prayer assembly, our children are at least still exposed to the Bible and prayers. But in places where there are only government schools, the church has to see to it that Christian children and young people are brought up to know Jesus.  We are thankful for the teachers and volunteers who have committed themselves to minister our children while we worship in church.  But these few church helpers cannot do all the works: we need more people to help.    

What I am saying is that young people need to be in that right relationship with God in order for them to discern the will of God and know the direction that they should take later on.  Responsible parents want their children to become successful in life. But do not inject our personal past shortcomings and failures upon our children or grand-children. When you advice your young ones, “Do not be like me”, what are you saying?  Are you saying that you used to have high ideals, dreams, goals or ambitions which you have failed to achieved, and now you want your children or grandchildren to fulfil those ideals?  Some parents who are pushing their children to success are doing just that.  We must remember that our children have their own lives to live; they are not there to fulfil our failed dreams.   So, when we give advice to our children, do it prayerfully and think carefully, and don’t push into their lives our failed wishes and dreams.

Instead, if you are very concerned about your children’s future, surrender them to God: He has better plan for your children.  Success in life is not just making a lot of money, or being on the top ladder of power, or living in big house.  It is fine be rich and successful, but the more important thing is life that is cloaked with honesty, faithfulness, love and integrity.  

Remember that when God called Samuel to the ministry - he was in the house of the Lord. Young Christians need to be in a position to hear God speaking to them if you want them to be guided by God; and the best place is the church.  But we need to create an atmosphere for that to happen.  Our leaders must have hearts for young people and parents must bring their children to the house of the Lord. We have children Ministry and Youth Fellowship in the parish, and these are some of the resources and means of grace that God has given us to raise up our young people.  But these programs and activities are useless if parents don’t support them.  

If we expect our young people to answer the call of God to be his servants wherever they are, we need to teach them certain basic principles or truth about God and about themselves before we sent them out into the world.

First, they must know God personally. If you want to make a difference and an impact upon this world you will have to put your trust and faith in God who created this world and know him in an intimate way.  In John 15: 5 Jesus says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.”  

What happens when leaders, businessmen and officials who don’t know and fear God? They become corrupt, lazy and untrustworthy.  Jesus is saying we are going to be useless, totally ineffective and unproductive leaders if we don’t have Jesus in our lives.  Yes, we may call ourselves Christians but our values are no different from non-believers.

Second, young people have to learn that everything belongs to God.  Mark 10: 17-22 tells us about a young man who stopped Jesus and asked what good thing he must do to get eternal life. Jesus told him to obey the Commandments, but the young man said he had done all that since he was a boy. Jesus recognised the root of his problem: he loved his money too much.  Marks tells us that Jesus looked at him and loved him.  And He told the young man to sell all his possessions and give everything to the poor, and then come and follow Him.  The man went away sad.   

If our young people want to live a life that is committed to God, then God must have all of them.  God requires that they give their all to Him. It does not mean that you give away every single cent you have to the church or to charity.  What it means is: if you want to be a disciple of Jesus then it will require obedience from start to finish.  Jesus in Matthew 16:24 says, “If anyone desires to come after me let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me”.  If you want to follow the Lord whole heartedly, the “me” and the “I” in my life must go and be replaced with God’s desires.  It means that our attitudes, goals and ambitions must be surrendered to God and directed outward.  When all of you are surrendered to God you will still study and work hard like anybody else.  But the difference is your goals and ambitions are not planned around you.  You will not be just thinking about personal benefits you will get from your efforts. Instead, but you will be thinking about making a lasting impact for God that will make a difference to your community.   

My third and final point is this: young people need to know God’s purpose for them in life.  It is good and it is effective to have goals, aims and ambitions in life. This helps us to remember who we are, what we are about and where we were going. It is a wonderful thing to see people at their young age, having a burden for something – the desire to see good thing happening in our community, our country, and even in this world. But remember that God wants our ambitions and goals to be in line with His plan, so that He can give each one of us certain responsibility.  

  I also know that there are young people who have committed themselves to selfish thinking, and the only thing that matters for them is themselves. They may see other people as tools and means to achieve their personal goals and ambitions. In some cases, they may even turn against their own parents and family members.  There are also young people who live with no vision and no mission: they simply have no purpose, goal and aim in life.  They are just like driftwoods, moving up and down the river, following the tide. Both behaviours may cause parents to suffer deep regrets and sadness.  Parents, if you are caught in this predicament, don’t give up on your children who have turned into persons you have never envisioned them to become.  Continue to love them and pray for them. Continue to put your trust in God’s love and commit your children into His hands.  You can never know what good thing He will do even in such unfortunate situations. Romans 8: 28 gives us these words of encouragement: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”. 

Conclusion: I want you to remember that God delights to work with young people under whatever situations they are in right now. But God wants you to give Him a helping hand.  In spite of their high education, energetic determination, and ideals, young people still lack in one thing: that is, godly wisdom when making their decisions and choices.  Our responsibility as parents is to help our children to come to Him, to know Him, and to recognize His authority over their lives.

 Like what Eli did to Samuel, we are to encourage and help our young people to listen and discern God’s voice. That may not guarantee everything will go the way we expect them to be. But it gives assurance that whatever happens, your young ones are living lives under the watchful eyes of our heavenly Father. Sometimes, that change in our children’s lives will also mean that we, as parents and guardians may have to change as well. Can most parents honestly say they can discern God’s voice? 

Let us pray:  Lord, we lift our children and young people up to you today; that you will reveal yourself to them.  Help them to rely on your Holy Spirit for guidance and direction as they face the challenges of each day.  Encourage them with joy when life gets tough; comfort them when they are discouraged; and forgive them when they fall short.  Develop in them an identity founded in Christ, and confirm in their heart that you are their Father, and bestow upon them your unending love. In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

 

~Can. James Juhari~