Introduction:     What a privilege that God would speak to us! Does God still speak today? Yes, there is nothing wrong with the voice of God, but there is a problem with the ears of His people. These were dark days for Israel (no open vision). (Illus: the many voices we have today…we need to hear the voice of God!) We learn from Samuel’s experience here how to hear the voice of God. The voice of God:

I.          IS PARTICULAR (VV. 4; 6; 8; 10)
You will never miss the voice of God if you’ll understand that God speaks in very particular ways (Heb.1:1). The clear voice of God is the voice of the Son of God (the Word of God) to the N. T. Christian. So, if you want to hear the voice of God; don’t look to visions, don’t look to dreams, get your Bible out and look into the Word! God still speaks, but you’ll never hear the voice of God if you’re looking for the voice of God in the wrong place!

II.         IS PERSONAL (V. 11)
God called Samuel by name. If you want to hear the voice of God you have to be in the family of God (John 10:27 ) "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" God doesn’t speak to the lost like this, only to His sheep! If you are not hearing the voice of God through the Word of God tonight it just may be that you’re not in the family of God! You cannot get into the family of God without faith and neither can you hear the voice of God without faith (Illus: Child-like faith just trusts…). You don’t hear God’s voice with the ears on your head, but with the ears of your heart!

III.       IS PENETRATING
Samuel could not get away from God’s voice. It was clear and undeniable. I do not believe God speaks audibly. I believe God speaks through His Word (1Kings 19:11 -12). Here’s why – you could shut out an audible voice (Ladies, husbands do that all the time…), but when God speaks to your heart – you can’t get away from that because that voice is penetrating! That’s why you need to be in church regularly. Again I say that there is nothing wrong with the voice of God, the problem is our ears are dirty. Until we deal with the sin in our lives we cannot hear God’s penetrating voice clearly. Too many are trying to live in two different worlds and walk down both sides of the road. Neither Eli nor his sons could hear the voice of God (expound). I want to be like Samuel (v.19), he was eager to receive from the Lord. If you can’t hear from the Lord maybe there is too much garbage in your life.

IV.       IS PERSISTENT
God called Samuel 3 times. Some cannot hear the voice of God because they do all the talking. Sometime we just need to hush up and listen, (v.10) “Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth…” (Illus: it’s like hard rock candy….(Psa 1:2) "But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night." Meditating on the Word is rolling the promises of God around in our soul.)

Conclusion:       God still speaks! Can you hear His voice tonight as He calls you to salvation, or rededication, or to a deeper commitment, or to repent, return, and experience revival!