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In the temple at Shiloh, the boy Samuel is serving the priest
Eli. He sleeps near the ark of the covenant, symbol of God's
presence. One night Samuel is called. Twice he mistakes the voice
of God for Eli's. Then Eli instructs the boy to say, "Speak,
Lord, for your servant hears." Samuel obeys and God speaks to him
of future happenings in Israel.

Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 (C, L); 1 Corinthians 6:11b-20
(E); 1 Corinthians 6:13-15, 17-20 (RC)
People in the Corinthian church were sexually immoral for
religious reasons. They accepted the truth that Christ's death on
the cross fulfilled the law for them. Since they were saved by
grace alone, they felt free to do what they pleased. Some of them
participated in sexual perversion. Paul countered this by giving
a theology of the body.

Gospel: John 1:43-51 (C, E, L); John 1:35-42 (RC)
At Bethany beyond the Jordan, John the Baptist and his
disciples were holding baptismal services. When he saw Jesus
coming to join them, he declared, "Behold the Lamb of God, who
takes away the sin of the world." The next day as John the
Baptist again looks at Jesus he exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of
God." This was to say that Jesus was the Messiah. Hearing this
witness, two disciples of John, one was Andrew, left John for
Jesus. The two followed and stayed with him the rest of the day.
Probably the very next morning, Andrew goes for his brother Simon
and brings him to Jesus who changes his name to Cephas or Peter,
an Aramaic word meaning "rock."

Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 (C) -- "I praise you, for I am fearfully
and wonderfully made." (v. 14)
Psalm 67 (L); Psalm 63:1-8 (E)

Prayer Of The Day
"Lord God, you shared your glory and led many to faith by the
works of your Son. As he brought gladness and healing to his
people, grant us these same gifts and lead us also to perfect
faith in him."

Hymn Of The Day
"Jesus Calls Us, O'er The Tumult"

Theme Of The Day: The Call Of God
Gospel -- The call to discipleship.
Lesson 1 -- The call to servanthood.
Lesson 2 -- The call to glorify God in the body.
The theme, the call of God, seems quite clear, especially in
the Gospel and Lesson 1. Lesson 2 is the first in a series of
semi in-course pericopes during the Epiphany season taken

from 1 and 2 Corinthians. Nevertheless, without stretching a
point too much, Lesson 2 fits into the theme of God's call in
terms of using the human body to glorify God. In the Gospel,
Andrew and Peter become disciples of Jesus. Samuel in Lesson 1 is
called by Yahweh to be his servant. The Psalm of the Day
expresses the author's longing for God. The Prayer of the Day
refers to Jesus' leading many to faith and asking that we, too,
might be brought to faith. The Hymn of the Day perfectly fits
into the theme, "Jesus calls us."

THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS
Gospel: John 1:43-51
1. Follow (v. 43). Jesus said to Philip, "Follow me." "Follow"
denotes a relationship between Christ and a Christian. To follow
Jesus means we acknowledge and accept him as shepherd, leader and
master. It is not an association of peers. There is no democratic
relationship of equality. The word, "follow," indicates our
position in the relationship. To follow Christ does not mean we
walk beside him as a peer, nor before him as leader, but behind
him as a follower. He is first and we are second; he is leader
and we are followers; he is master and we are servants.
2. Found (vv. 43, 45). Jesus "found" Philip and Philip "found"
Nathanael. Consequently, they became followers of Jesus. People
usually do not come to Christ on their own interest nor power.
Converts are not made by sitting in an office or living room.
Jesus taught, "Seek and you will find." Before we find something
or someone we need to know what we are looking for. We are
looking for the lost; the lonely, the friendless, the disturbed.
Church growth depends upon our seeking until we find non-churched
people. When we succeed in winning them, they are "found."
3. Come and see (v. 46). When Philip told Nathanael that he
had found the Messiah, Nathanael could not believe it. He was
skeptical about anything coming out of Nazareth. Philip did not
argue the point or try to answer Nathanael's question. He merely
said, "Come and see" for yourself. You do not have to "sell"
Jesus; he will sell himself. When you listen to his words of
wisdom, when you look at his character, and when you see his
power over nature, you come to the conclusion he must be the
Christ.

Lesson 1: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20)
1. Rare (v. 1). In the days of Eli and his sons, priests of
the day, it was rare when the Word of God was heard. Why this
silence? Was God absent from his people? Maybe dead? The reason
for the rarity of the Word is not due to God but to man's
condition. The sons of Eli were grossly corrupt. God cannot draw
near to rebellious people. Only the pure in heart see God. To
hear God's Word, persons must prepare themselves with repentance
and faith. Today many experience the absence of God because they
are a part of a secular society which ignores the reality in
human affairs.
2. Ark ( v. 3). Like the altar in a church, the ark was the
symbol of God's presence in the temple. Samuel did not sleep only
in the "church" but in the sanctuary where the altar was. He
slept close to God. If we want to experience God and hear his
Word, we must put ourselves in the right place. The best place to
hear God's Word is in church.
3. Speak (v. 10). God, in this case, reveals himself to Samuel
through speech. Often God reveals himself in visions and dreams.
Since the Bible is the Word of God, the reading, teaching and
preaching of the Bible are God's way of speaking today. It is one
thing for God to speak, but it is another for the person to hear.
Communication requires both a broadcaster and a receiver.

Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Body (v. 13). In this pericope of eight verses, the word
"body" is used seven times. In Greek the word used here is soma,
not sarx (flesh). The body is the whole person -- body, mind and
soul. Body and soul are inseparable. What affects one affects the
other. It is

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immoral to have a dirty body and a pure spirit. They do not
harmonize. The problem in the Corinthian church was that the
Christians claimed to be spiritual, but allowed their bodies to
engage in sexual license.
2. One (v. 16). "Body," as used here, indicates a oneness of
body, mind and soul. Sex also is a oneness. It brings two bodies
into oneness. It is more than a physical union; it is a spiritual
and emotional one as well. The physical union is an external
expression of the oneness in mind and heart of the two people; it
expresses the oneness the couple feels. Sex for the sake of sex
is a perversion of sex. One person is used for gratification of
the other person. If you are one in Christ, you are a part of his
body. To give that body for immoral sexual experiences is to
pollute it and is adultery.
3. Bought (v. 20). Christians are bought people. They were
purchased by the precious blood of Christ. Thus, Christians are
Christ's property and they are to use their bodies (selves) for
God's purposes of honor and purity. The practical implication is
that we are not our own bosses and we cannot do with our bodies
what we please. Christians are called to glorify God in their
bodies.

PREACHING POSSIBILITIES
God Wants You!
Need: This sermon deals with the Theme for the Day, God's
call, as it is reflected in the Lessons. How many in the
congregation feel that they are carrying out a call of God?
Probably very few have such an awareness. For most, life is a
matter of making a living as best they can and getting some
enjoyment out of doing it. Under this philosophy, the one thing
they look forward to is retirement -- no work and all play!
Christians are different in that they feel that their lives are a
fulfillment of God's call to a specific task or goal. This sermon
explains what that call may be.
Outline: Consider your calling.
a. God the Father calls you to a holy vocation -- Lesson 1.
b. God the Son calls you to discipleship -- Gospel.
c. God the Spirit, through the church, calls you to glorify
God -- Lesson 2.

Gospel: John 1:35-42 (RC); John 1:43-51 (C, E, L)
1. How do you relate to Jesus? 1:37 -- "They followed Jesus."
Need: What is the proper relationship to Jesus? Non-Christians
have no relationship but Christians may have a different
relationship. The relationship is inaugurated by Jesus'
invitation, "Follow me." Our people need to examine their
relationship to Jesus and to be motivated to a relationship of
true discipleship.
Outline: Possible relations to Jesus --
a. You can go before Jesus.
Jesus is placed second, you are out front, living your
own life.
Cases: Pilate, Caiaphas, Peter -- denial; Judas --
betrayal.
b. You can walk beside Jesus.
Jesus in this case is your brother, fellow-human, a
friend.
c. You can walk behind Jesus -- "Follow me."
Jesus is master, you are servant; leader -- follower;
shepherd -- sheep.
2. Your part in church growth. 1:43-46
Need: A new word for the old word "evangelism" is "growth."
For a decade now the mainline churches have been losing members.
A new interest in adding numbers to the church exists. In the
19th century, evangelism was identified with mass meetings,
revivals and evangelists. Today we happily have a return to
biblical evangelism in terms of personal witnessing and lay
visitation of prospects. Recent statistics show that people join
the church primarily through the invitations of friends.
Sometimes it is called relational evangelism. A Christian

becomes a friend of a non-Christian, invites him to church, and
does what he can to help the unchurched. Our text gives an
example of this type of evangelism:
Outline: How to become a soul winner --
a. Be a Christian -- vv. 35-39.
b. Know Jesus as Messiah -- v. 41.
c. Find an unchurched person -- v. 41.
d. Bring the person to Jesus -- v. 42.
3. Christ wants you! 1:35-42
Need: As Uncle Sam points his finger at you challenging you to
enlist in the armed forces, so Christ wants you in his army as
follower and servant. How does one become a Christian? Am I a
true Christian or a nominal church member? Consider Andrew; he
was a religious person who was allied with the ministry of John
the Baptist, but he was not a Christian. There is a difference
between being religious and being a Christian. How does one
become a true Christian, one who is more than a religious person,
or an average church member? Andrew and Peter are models for our
becoming genuine Christians.
Outline: How to become a true Christian --
a. Listen to a witness to Jesus -- v. 36.
b. Find out for yourself who Jesus is -- v. 39.
c. Witness to others -- v. 41.
d. Become a new person -- v. 42.

Lesson 1: 1 Samuel 3:1-10
1. Sleeping in the sanctuary. 3:1-10
Need: There is a hunger among people today for a personal
experience with God. People want to know and feel that God is a
meaningful part of their lives. Is God directing their lives? In
Samuel's day, there was the same lack of God -- v. 1: "The word
of the Lord was rare ... there was no frequent vision." This
hunger for spiritual reality and direction is expressed in the
cults of our time. This sermon examines Samuel's first personal
experience with God and shows how an individual can have the
same.
Outline: To have an experience with God --
a. Be in the right place -- where God is -- v. 3.
Samuel slept where the ark was.
b. Recognize God's voice -- v. 9.
c. Listen to God's voice -- v. 10 -- "Thy servant hears."
To hear is to listen, to receive, to obey.
2. Who is speaking, please? 3:8-10
Need: When a voice is heard and the person does not identify
himself, or herself, whose voice is it? Occasionally, someone
asks on the phone, "Who is speaking, please?" Sometimes for the
sake of fun, we disguise our voices. In a serious vein we must
ask, "When is God and when is man speaking to us?" The laity face
this question every time they listen to a sermon. This was the
problem for those persons at the People's Temple where Jim Jones
preached. For them his was the voice of God, even to the point of
obeying his order to drink poison. Is God speaking when man
speaks? How can we know? Samuel, with the help of Eli, learned it
was God and not man speaking to him.
Outline: Is God or man speaking?
a. God speaks when his Word is proclaimed.
b. God speaks when Jesus is exalted.
c. God speaks when the Bible is rightly understood.

Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
1. Is there an answer to today's sexual promiscuity? 6:12-20
Need: In our day there is a breakdown in sexual morality.
Recent polls in America indicate that one million babies are born
annually out of wedlock. Abortions are a commonplace

practice. Wife-swapping is not unusual. A majority of youth have
sex before marriage. A similar percentage of those married have
extra-marital affairs. Couples live together without benefit of
marriage. Single parents are raising children. Millions admit to
being homosexual or lesbian. Paul faced the problem of sexual
promiscuity in Corinth, but the difference between the
Corinthians and us is that they excused their immorality on
religious grounds. Is our situation too far gone to be corrected?
Will America ever return to the ideal purity of sexual behavior?
On this text Paul gives religious reasons for sexual morality.
Outline: The Christian answer to today's sexual perversion --
a. Consider your body as a member of Christ's body -- v. 15.
b. Reverence your body as a temple of the Spirit -- v. 19.
c. Glorify God in your body -- v. 20.
2. Is your body your private business? 6:12-20
Need: Your body is you. You may feel that it is solely your
business how you treat or use that body. One argument used by
pro-abortionists is that a woman has a right to say what shall be
done with her body. It is not the state's nor the church's
concern. Paul would not agree: "You are not your own; you were
bought with a price." God has a purpose for your bodies, and
well-being depends on our using our bodies as God intended: "The
body is not meant for immorality but for the Lord." (v. 13)
Outline: The body was meant for --
a. Morality -- vv. 13, 18.
b. Oneness with Christ -- v. 15.
c. A temple of the Spirit -- v. 19.
d. Glorifying God -- v. 20.