10:30 am, Sun, Jan 14, 2024 ~ FBCA (1 Sam 3:1-10; John 1:43-51) J G White

Dallas Willard:

Sunday dinner was finished, but we lingered around the table, savouring the good food and reflecting on the morning's service at church. The congregation–where I then served as a very young (and very green) assistant pastor–was excited about its plans for a new sanctuary to replace its old building, which was much loved but long overused and outgrown.

The morning message had focused on the plans for the new building. Our pastor spoke of his vision for the church’s increased ministry. He indicated how strongly he felt God’s guidance in the way the congregation was going, and he testified that God had spoken to him about things that should be done.

My wife’s grandmother, Mrs. Lucy Latimer (“Mema” to us all), seemed deep in thought as we continued to chatter along. Finally, she said quietly, “I wonder why God never speaks to me like that.”

This simple comment, which came like a bolt out of the blue from the heart of this woman of unshakable faith and complete devotion, forever changed my attitude toward glib talk about God’s speaking to us or about divine guidance. (Dallas Willard, Hearing God, 1984, pp. 17-18)

Mema, in fact, had a richly interactive life with God, as we all knew. But for whatever reasons, she had not be able to relate her experience of God’s presence in her life–of which she was completely certain–to the idea of God’s speaking with her.

To hear from God is a key teaching in Christianity, and yet it remains a mystery for so many. Or, at least, it remains a quiet, private secret. I think now about the occasional time someone asks me about how I prepare a sermon, how long it takes, where I get ideas. They almost always ask quietly, in hushed tones; and don’t ask too many more questions. Perhaps they do feel they are asking about a secret, about the hidden magic of an expert ‘Hearing From God.’

I have a few ‘special stories’ of things that have happened in my life; but probably not many more than any of you. I don’t have a miracle story for every week, for every sermon, for every bright idea I share. I’m not hearing voices.

I named this sermon ‘Jesus Calling,’ after one of the many popular books I have never read. Twenty years ago, a daily devotional book was published, called Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence. It, and some follow-up books by Sara Young, have now sold 30 million copies. The author just died last year.

We read, today, a Bible story of Jesus calling, in person, to gather some disciples. In John 1 we saw Him meeting some fellows and inviting them to be apprenticed to Him. Philip and Nathaniel are both impressed by this new, travelling preacher, and they follow.

For us, 2000 years later, it is not as simple as getting to hear direct out loud voices from a human standing in front of us. We may think our experience is more like that of a young jewish boy named Samuel, 3000 years ago. What a spell-binding story, if I dare use that turn of phrase. And maybe we are again at such a moment, even in our religious faith: The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. It took a few tries for young Samuel and old priest Eli to recognize that almighty God was calling to the boy that night. And he should answer!

Such a Bible story can inspire us, bring us hope. We will sing it in our final hymn today. But still, we do not expect a voice in a dream to direct our movements and our speaking, every week of life.

So what are the usual, day-to-day methods of the Holy Spirit to speak to you and to me? Because, as comedian Lily Tomlin asked, decades ago, “Why is it that when we speak to God we are said to be praying but when God speaks to us we are said to be schizophrenic?” Not a very polite joke now, we realize, since suffering from a serious mental illness is a real hardship. But it made the point that, well, having a conversation with Jesus today is not often easy. If prayer is not to be one sided, how do we hear Jesus calling nowadays?

I appreciate so much of how the late scholar Dallas Willard explained things. Like this. He taught that we mostly hear from God in our own thoughts and impressions. There is so much to be said about this. At the least, we ask, which ideas that come are inspired? What senses we have of an answer, or what to do next, are really from Christ, or the Holy Spirit? We learn through experience, yes, but what can we say, in general, about recognizing God’s voice?

Willard suggested a few things, and I think he was right. There are some factors in the voice of God that help us know it. One: an idea or thought we have that is at the same time God’s voice, has a certain quality about it: a quality of authority. Willard calls this the weight of authority. The thoughts or perceptions that enter our mind, from God, have a “certain steady and calm force… Our innermost being seems to say Yes, this is true and right.” (Willard, Hearing God, 1984, p. 228) Our own subconscious, on the other hand, is not always so sure. E. Stanley Jones suggested,

The voice of the subconscious argues with you, tries to convince you; but the inner voice of God does not argue, does not try to convince you. It just speaks, and it is self-authenticating. It has the feel of the voice of God within it. (Jones, in Willard, p. 229) Look at Jesus speaking to His disciple candidates… with calm authority.

There is also the spirit of God’s voice in any message within our own thoughts. Willard says, It is a spirit of exalted peacefulness and confidence, of joy, of sweet reasonableness and of goodwill. His voice is not the voice of a bully. (Willard, p. 230)

And there is, of course the content, what the message actually is for us. If the information fits with what we know of Jesus, and God’s ways of doing things, and all that we learn of that in the Bible.

Years ago, down south, a young man named Evan Roberts was in college, studying to be a Christian minister. At one point, he was deeply moved by the sermons of a guest preacher.

Roberts could not concentrate on his studies after that and went to the principal of his college, and said, “I hear a voice that tells me I must go home and speak to the young people of my home church. Mr. Phillips, is that the voice of the devil or the voice of the Spirit?”

Principal Phillips answered, “The devil never gives orders like that. You can have a week off.” (in Willard, p. 232)

Whether or not you are a believer who deals with evil as a being called the Devil or not, you can see the point. What we believe we are being told to do by God matters. An American Baptist minister told of a church person who believed that a Bible verse was telling him to put cream cheese in his wife’s hair. Um… the Pastor did not think that was an actual word from the Lord!

Even when we keep growing to recognize the authority and the spirit and the content of Christ’s personal messages to us, we can go astray. As I mentioned in passing, our mental or emotional well-being can skew what we sense to be God’s voice, or silence. It takes a village to raise a child - and it takes a fellowship to recognize the will of God for you and me. We must help and hear together. Notice how Samuel and Eil worked together; or Philip and Nathaniel.

I find there is so much I want to say here; I could have planned a sermon series. Maybe later. And the choir wanted to sing all of hymn # 458, so the sermon had to be a few sentences shorter, of course! ;)

We, like Nathaniel, may have profound moments that make us feel sure of Jesus and ready to take on the world. But once again, we may have only just begun. And there are many days, and weeks, and months, that are quite ordinary. we may feel at times unguided, not hearing the call of Jesus to anything. We learn the quietness of the Voice, and we know many times when we don’t need more guidance: God knows we know enough to choose good paths for ourselves.

Let me end by saying I want to do some communication with God things among us here. A weekly prayer gathering during the week. Some prayer training events, from time to time. One of them I will call ‘Build a Prayer.’ Another could be ‘Speed Praying.’ Perhaps a study devoted to how we hear from God; I have a curriculum for that we could use. A spiritual day retreat could be a great thing.

Aside from these ways to get together and know Jesus calling, are the week-by-week personal development and devotions we each have to interact with the Greater Power. I’m always so curious about this personal and private side of prayer and connection with Christ.

I hope you also will remain curious.

‘Speak Lord, for Your servants are listening.’