1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,400 Grace mercy and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. 2 00:00:07,333 --> 00:00:08,233 Poor Samuel. 3 00:00:09,966 --> 00:00:16,266 Poor poor Samuel he was young he was far away from home. He was far away from his mother 4 00:00:16,266 --> 00:00:18,366 He had no power. He had no authority and 5 00:00:19,100 --> 00:00:19,533 something 6 00:00:20,500 --> 00:00:21,366 wonderful happened. 7 00:00:22,966 --> 00:00:25,566 God spoke to him audibly. 8 00:00:26,933 --> 00:00:28,233 It would be wonderful. 9 00:00:28,966 --> 00:00:36,066 To have God speak and to hear his voice with your ears and that's what happened to Samuel. 10 00:00:36,900 --> 00:00:39,733 But the message God gave to Samuel 11 00:00:40,700 --> 00:00:45,533 was this a message Samuel did not want to deliver. 12 00:00:47,166 --> 00:00:49,300 He was afraid to deliver it. 13 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:58,200 Eli's sons were blaspheming God and Eli didn't do anything about it and God was going to punish the house 14 00:00:58,233 --> 00:00:59,766 of Eli. 15 00:01:02,633 --> 00:01:05,166 Samuel didn't want to say it 16 00:01:05,166 --> 00:01:11,733 but he did he delivered the message because it was God's Word. 17 00:01:14,166 --> 00:01:15,766 You also 18 00:01:16,366 --> 00:01:23,833 will be required to deliver messages from God's Word that people do not want to hear and 19 00:01:25,166 --> 00:01:26,500 you may be afraid 20 00:01:27,066 --> 00:01:29,366 to deliver them. 21 00:01:30,300 --> 00:01:33,866 This is true broadly generally of all Christians. 22 00:01:33,866 --> 00:01:39,466 God requires us to take a stand on his entire word every bit of it 23 00:01:40,066 --> 00:01:47,700 the whole law all of his commandments all of his requirements all the punishments for sin and 24 00:01:49,066 --> 00:01:52,066 the whole gospel all of the good news. 25 00:01:53,066 --> 00:01:55,933 All of the gifts all 26 00:01:56,500 --> 00:01:58,500 of the promises. And 27 00:01:59,366 --> 00:02:03,766 this may be may happen in conversations with friends or family 28 00:02:05,300 --> 00:02:07,433 with colleagues or neighbors. 29 00:02:10,033 --> 00:02:10,633 and 30 00:02:10,633 --> 00:02:12,166 if you happen to be a deaconess as 31 00:02:13,533 --> 00:02:20,166 You serve others in the name of Christ. You will also speak his word and if you happen to be a pastor 32 00:02:20,966 --> 00:02:24,333 You are called by God to proclaim his word 33 00:02:26,933 --> 00:02:28,133 Publicl. And 34 00:02:28,133 --> 00:02:33,266 there is quite a bit of the Word of God that people don't want to hear. 35 00:02:34,366 --> 00:02:36,566 Our world does not want to hear that 36 00:02:37,100 --> 00:02:43,200 it is a sin to have sex outside of marriage or for a man to marry a man or 37 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:45,933 for a woman to decide that she is a man 38 00:02:45,933 --> 00:02:48,566 rejecting the identity that God gave her. 39 00:02:50,566 --> 00:02:50,666 Or 40 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:57,700 That is a sin to insult someone or attack someone for voting for the wrong candidate. 41 00:02:58,566 --> 00:03:00,333 Or that is a sin 42 00:03:01,166 --> 00:03:06,300 to reject Jesus as Savior and Lord. 43 00:03:07,866 --> 00:03:15,966 The Lord may even lead you to speak hard words to our beloved Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod. 44 00:03:17,100 --> 00:03:17,666 To 45 00:03:17,666 --> 00:03:20,633 rebuke us and to tell us to stop gossiping. 46 00:03:21,733 --> 00:03:26,200 To stop talking behind the backs of others with the goal of hurting their reputations. 47 00:03:28,166 --> 00:03:35,566 To tell us to work together to do God's mission together. 48 00:03:38,233 --> 00:03:41,333 When I talk about delivering hard messages 49 00:03:42,133 --> 00:03:44,933 maybe that's frightening to you. Maybe you think of how 50 00:03:44,933 --> 00:03:52,433 how how much work it would take to get your courage up to say those sorts of things or maybe I've got you all riled 51 00:03:52,433 --> 00:03:55,566 up and you're ready to go out and rebuke somebody. 52 00:03:57,333 --> 00:04:00,466 Well, whatever you do whatever you do 53 00:04:02,033 --> 00:04:05,233 don't leave this chapel and immediately find someone to rebuke. 54 00:04:07,833 --> 00:04:09,466 Take a lesson from Samuel 55 00:04:10,466 --> 00:04:14,466 he didn't want to do it and 56 00:04:14,466 --> 00:04:22,666 trust the Lord to guide you to guide the situation to create the opportunity when He wants you to deliver a message like that. 57 00:04:23,333 --> 00:04:29,300 And pray pray for yourself and pray for the person you will you will talk with. 58 00:04:29,300 --> 00:04:35,633 Ask the Holy Spirit to work in that person's heart if the person is not a believer to bring that person person to faith. 59 00:04:36,733 --> 00:04:41,233 And if the person needs to repent to bring that person to repentance. 60 00:04:42,333 --> 00:04:43,900 And speak God's Word 61 00:04:45,100 --> 00:04:47,066 and see what God does. 62 00:04:49,233 --> 00:04:50,433 Surprisingly often 63 00:04:51,300 --> 00:04:54,500 people accept those messages as from the Lord 64 00:04:55,166 --> 00:04:57,333 It happened in our text 65 00:04:57,900 --> 00:05:00,466 Eli said it is the Lord 66 00:05:01,166 --> 00:05:04,733 Let Him do what seems good to Him. 67 00:05:05,733 --> 00:05:08,066 But however people may react 68 00:05:09,033 --> 00:05:11,400 we speak God's Word 69 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:20,066 trusting Him to work in the way that He intends to work and He does work through His word. 70 00:05:21,433 --> 00:05:29,866 Chapter 19 says and Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 71 00:05:30,433 --> 00:05:35,500 The Lord let none of Samuel's words fall to the ground because they were the Lord's words. 72 00:05:35,500 --> 00:05:39,566 And He doesn't let His own words fall to the ground or fail. 73 00:05:39,566 --> 00:05:40,300 In fact 74 00:05:40,300 --> 00:05:46,033 the whole Old Testament and the whole New Testament is full of people who are speaking God's Word and 75 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:49,266 His word is always pointed 76 00:05:50,266 --> 00:05:51,766 at Jesus Christ. 77 00:05:54,033 --> 00:05:57,100 When you speak the Word of God 78 00:05:57,633 --> 00:06:02,966 speak the gospel tell people what Jesus Christ has done for you. 79 00:06:04,133 --> 00:06:08,766 Tell them that you know that you're a sinner that you deserve to die that you deserve to go to hell 80 00:06:08,766 --> 00:06:16,066 but that Jesus loves you so much that he himself suffered and died in your place to take those sins away. 81 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:22,500 He did it and His Holy Spirit created faith in your heart so that you trust in Him. 82 00:06:23,066 --> 00:06:28,566 And you received His grace you received His forgiveness you receive His salvation you belong to Him. 83 00:06:28,566 --> 00:06:34,100 You are His forever and you will spend eternity with Him in paradise. 84 00:06:36,466 --> 00:06:37,566 And know 85 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:40,766 that He has forgiven all of your sins. 86 00:06:41,866 --> 00:06:48,366 Your sins of being afraid to speak His word to being ashamed of being ashamed of His word 87 00:06:50,033 --> 00:06:50,766 and 88 00:06:50,766 --> 00:06:54,100 every other sin that you may commit He forgives them all. 89 00:06:56,366 --> 00:06:57,066 And 90 00:06:57,066 --> 00:07:01,566 He leads you to tell others that they are forgiven as well. 91 00:07:05,033 --> 00:07:11,766 But know that our world doesn't want to hear the gospel either. 92 00:07:14,100 --> 00:07:19,666 Perhaps you've heard people say things like how dare you tell me what to believe? 93 00:07:19,666 --> 00:07:23,333 How dare you tell me that Jesus is the only way to be saved. 94 00:07:23,333 --> 00:07:28,066 How dare you tell me that you are right about religion and I'm wrong. 95 00:07:31,066 --> 00:07:31,633 And 96 00:07:31,633 --> 00:07:33,166 know that there are many in our world 97 00:07:33,733 --> 00:07:37,466 who will do everything in their power to stop you from preaching the word. 98 00:07:38,133 --> 00:07:39,866 Stop you from speaking the word 99 00:07:39,866 --> 00:07:43,033 or punish you if you do it. 100 00:07:43,033 --> 00:07:48,066 They will use coercion. They will use threats. They will use arguments. 101 00:07:50,166 --> 00:07:57,066 Perhaps you've heard people say things that really boil down to if you love me. You will not speak God's Word to me. 102 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:03,000 If you speak God's Word to me then I'll know that you don't love me. 103 00:08:05,633 --> 00:08:07,600 It makes me think of 104 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:10,766 a scene from the silver chair 105 00:08:10,766 --> 00:08:19,300 from the Chronicles of Narnia. I'm gonna read a few pages to you in a moment and in this scene Prince Rillian and 106 00:08:20,066 --> 00:08:22,700 Puddlegum a marsh wiggle is with him. 107 00:08:22,700 --> 00:08:29,666 A Marsh wiggle is much like a man but with webbed feet like a duck and two children and they are caught in 108 00:08:30,433 --> 00:08:36,633 the Queen's lair underground where there is no sun and the Queen is using arguments and 109 00:08:38,799 --> 00:08:42,799 magic to try to convince them that there is no sun. 110 00:08:43,666 --> 00:08:45,333 There is no Narnia. 111 00:08:45,333 --> 00:08:51,266 There is no Azlan the great lion who represents our own Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 112 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,366 There never was a sun said the witch. 113 00:08:55,366 --> 00:08:56,400 No, 114 00:08:56,400 --> 00:09:00,566 there never was a sun said the prince and the Marsh wiggle and the children. 115 00:09:00,566 --> 00:09:07,433 For the last few minutes Jill had been feeling that there was something she must remember at all costs and now she did 116 00:09:07,433 --> 00:09:09,800 but it was dreadfully hard to say it. 117 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:16,533 She felt as if huge weights were laid on her lips at last with an effort that seemed to take all the good out of 118 00:09:16,533 --> 00:09:18,333 her she said there's Azlan. 119 00:09:20,033 --> 00:09:27,400 Azlan said the witch quickening ever so slightly the pace of her thrumming. What a pretty name. What does it mean? 120 00:09:29,333 --> 00:09:36,833 He is the great lion who called us out of our own world said scrub and sent us into this to find Prince Rillian 121 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:41,266 What is a lion asked the witch Oh hang it all said scrub 122 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:44,500 Don't you know how can we describe it to her? 123 00:09:45,433 --> 00:09:46,466 Have you ever seen a cat? 124 00:09:47,266 --> 00:09:49,266 Surely said the Queen I love cats. 125 00:09:49,900 --> 00:09:56,266 Well a lion is a little bit only a little bit mind you like a huge cat with a mane 126 00:09:56,266 --> 00:10:03,800 At least it's not like a horse's mane, you know, it's more like a judge's wig and it's yellow and terrifically strong. 127 00:10:04,733 --> 00:10:06,633 The witch shook her head, I 128 00:10:07,433 --> 00:10:14,033 see she said that we should do no better with your lion as you call it than we did with your sun. 129 00:10:14,033 --> 00:10:19,933 You have seen lamps. And so you imagined a bigger and better lamp and called it the Sun 130 00:10:19,933 --> 00:10:25,466 You've seen cats and now you want a bigger and better cat and it's to be called a lion. 131 00:10:26,466 --> 00:10:28,533 Well, it's a pretty make-believe 132 00:10:28,533 --> 00:10:33,566 though to say truth it would suit you all better if you were younger. 133 00:10:34,466 --> 00:10:35,066 And 134 00:10:35,066 --> 00:10:41,333 look how you can put nothing into your make-believe world without copying it from the real world 135 00:10:41,333 --> 00:10:45,633 this world of mine, which is the only world. 136 00:10:46,366 --> 00:10:53,766 But even you children are too old for such play as for you my lord prince that art a man full-grown fie upon you. 137 00:10:53,766 --> 00:10:56,266 Are you not ashamed of such toys? 138 00:10:56,866 --> 00:11:02,900 Come all of you put away these childish tricks. I have worked for you all in the real world. 139 00:11:02,900 --> 00:11:09,333 There is no Narnia. No overworld. No sky. No Sun. No Azlan and 140 00:11:10,433 --> 00:11:14,966 now to bed all and let us begin a wiser life tomorrow. 141 00:11:14,966 --> 00:11:22,033 But first to bed to sleep deep sleep soft pillows sleep without foolish dreams. 142 00:11:23,166 --> 00:11:29,333 The prince and the two children were standing with their heads hung down their cheeks flushed their eyes half closed 143 00:11:29,333 --> 00:11:33,633 the strength all gone from them the enchantment almost complete. 144 00:11:33,633 --> 00:11:39,233 But puddle-glam desperately gathering all his strength walked over to the fire 145 00:11:39,233 --> 00:11:42,600 then he did a very brave thing. 146 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:47,566 He knew it wouldn't hurt him quite as much as it would hurt a human for his feet 147 00:11:47,566 --> 00:11:54,733 which were bare were webbed and hard and cold-blooded like a duck's but he knew it would hurt him badly enough. And so it did. 148 00:11:55,766 --> 00:12:02,966 With his barefoot he stamped on the fire grinding a large part of it into ashes on the flat earth and three things 149 00:12:02,966 --> 00:12:04,166 happened at once. 150 00:12:04,766 --> 00:12:05,366 First 151 00:12:05,366 --> 00:12:08,866 the sweet heavy smell grew very much less. 152 00:12:08,866 --> 00:12:14,800 For though the whole fire had not been put out a good bit of it had and what remained 153 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:17,800 smelled very largely a burnt marsh wiggle. 154 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:21,200 Which is not at all an enchanting smell. 155 00:12:21,833 --> 00:12:29,166 This instantly made everyone's brain far clearer the prince and the children held up their heads again and opened their eyes. 156 00:12:29,166 --> 00:12:34,666 Secondly the witch in a loud terrible voice utterly different from all the sweet tone. 157 00:12:34,666 --> 00:12:37,933 She had been using up till now called out. What are you doing? 158 00:12:38,733 --> 00:12:44,266 Dare to touch my fire again mud filth and I'll turn the blood to fire inside your veins. 159 00:12:45,766 --> 00:12:46,366 Thirdly. 160 00:12:46,900 --> 00:12:54,066 The pain itself made puddle glums head for a moment perfectly clear and he knew exactly what he really thought 161 00:12:54,066 --> 00:12:59,266 there is nothing like a good shock of pain for dissolving certain kinds of magic. 162 00:13:00,433 --> 00:13:05,933 One word ma'am, he said coming back from the fire limping because of the pain one word 163 00:13:05,933 --> 00:13:08,933 all you've been saying is quite right. I shouldn't wonder 164 00:13:08,933 --> 00:13:13,833 I'm a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. 165 00:13:13,833 --> 00:13:20,366 So I won't deny any of what you said, but there's one more thing to be said even so. 166 00:13:20,366 --> 00:13:28,466 Suppose we have only dreamed or made up all those things trees and grass and Sun and moon and stars and Azlan stuff. 167 00:13:28,466 --> 00:13:32,033 Suppose we have then all I can say is that in that case 168 00:13:32,033 --> 00:13:36,466 the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. 169 00:13:37,566 --> 00:13:43,366 Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. 170 00:13:43,833 --> 00:13:46,500 That's a funny thing when you think come to think of it. 171 00:13:46,500 --> 00:13:49,833 We're just babies making up a game if you're right 172 00:13:49,833 --> 00:13:55,133 but for babies playing a game can make a play world which licks your real world hollow. 173 00:13:56,133 --> 00:14:01,266 That's why I'm going to stand by the play world. I'm on Azlan's side 174 00:14:01,266 --> 00:14:03,833 even if there isn't any Azlan to believe in. 175 00:14:03,833 --> 00:14:08,533 I'm going to live as like a Narnia and as I can even if there isn't any Narnia. 176 00:14:08,533 --> 00:14:14,133 So thanking you kindly for our supper if these two gentlemen and the lady already 177 00:14:14,133 --> 00:14:20,533 we're leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for overland. 178 00:14:20,533 --> 00:14:22,966 Not that our lives will be very long 179 00:14:22,966 --> 00:14:28,633 I should think but that's a small loss if the world is dull a place as you say. And 180 00:14:30,033 --> 00:14:30,766 then the witch 181 00:14:30,766 --> 00:14:36,633 transforms into a serpent and they fight the serpent and they kill the serpent. 182 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:39,833 Because as it turns out 183 00:14:39,833 --> 00:14:41,533 there was a Narnia. 184 00:14:42,133 --> 00:14:43,366 There was a sun. 185 00:14:44,133 --> 00:14:46,133 There was an Azlan and 186 00:14:46,833 --> 00:14:48,400 he gave them the victory. And 187 00:14:49,933 --> 00:14:53,466 there is one Jesus Christ. 188 00:14:55,033 --> 00:14:58,866 My exhortation to you is this 189 00:14:59,866 --> 00:15:01,266 be puddlegum, 190 00:15:02,633 --> 00:15:04,233 be Samuel. 191 00:15:04,966 --> 00:15:11,766 Speak the Word of God, even if it hurts even if people don't want to hear it. 192 00:15:14,500 --> 00:15:16,400 So when you go out there 193 00:15:17,300 --> 00:15:21,533 tell everybody that God so loved them 194 00:15:21,533 --> 00:15:25,566 that He sent His Son Jesus to suffer and die to take their sins away. 195 00:15:26,700 --> 00:15:31,100 And if the Lord should give you the gift of being a deaconess 196 00:15:31,900 --> 00:15:35,500 as you are serving and helping and encouraging others 197 00:15:37,533 --> 00:15:42,066 assure them that Jesus has forgiven them and has saved them. 198 00:15:43,700 --> 00:15:44,500 And 199 00:15:44,500 --> 00:15:49,266 if the Lord should give you the wonderful gift of being a pastor 200 00:15:50,266 --> 00:15:57,233 proclaim that gospel publicly to all the world that Jesus is Savior and Lord 201 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:02,233 He forgives sins he saves and he gives eternal life. 202 00:16:03,866 --> 00:16:04,400 Amen. 203 00:16:05,966 --> 00:16:11,266 And now may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.