Here I Am Lord, Send Me" Ryan Cupo 5.31.2026

The call, Here I am, Lord, send me, begins with knowing the Father and knowing his word. Sin hides, like Adam in the trees, and fear keeps distance. Union with the Son opens the Father, as Jesus says, no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son reveals him. Repentance and faith reconcile, and then the word must be known so that every claim, impulse, or cultural script can be tested. Samuel shows it, since he says here I am to the wrong person until the word is revealed and he learns to say, Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. The Spirit does not deliver new revelation, but he lights up the once-for-all word, so discernment grows, and Christian liberty becomes real obedience that simply does what Scripture already commands.

The message that mission carries is not easy. Samuel has to bring judgment to Eli. Isaiah hears, Keep on listening but do not understand, and he is sent to a people who will not turn until only a stump remains, and yet the holy seed is its stump. The gospel is a smell, life to life for the saved and death to death for the perishing. Truth names sin and holds out mercy, which is why John the Baptist loses his head for calling out perversion, and why public witness still takes hits. The kingdom news will land like a trade to rival fans, only eternal.

God will provide the means. Moses stares at a burning bush and then at his own tongue, and God answers with his name, with signs, with a brother who can speak, and with the promise, I will be with your mouth. Faith the size of a mustard seed moves more than fear imagines. Abraham walks up Moriah with a knife and a word, God will provide for himself the lamb, and learns the place-name that still stands. Provision may not look like comfort, but it will match the promise and reveal God’s glory in weakness.

The response is not the responsibility. Ananias says, Here I am, to a mission that looks like suicide, only to meet a chosen instrument whom Jesus has already arrested by light. Planting and watering are real, but God causes the growth. No one is beyond reach, not even the boogeyman. The Great Commission names the calling for every disciple, and the promise I am with you always backs the risk. Urgency asks whether love for neighbors outruns love for reputation, and whether bold gentleness will speak when eternity is on the table.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Know the Father and his word [02:59] Knowing God through the Son ends hiding and fear, and Scripture trains discernment. Samuel’s confusion lifts only when the word is revealed and he learns how to listen. The Spirit does not add to the canon, but he lights it up so obedience can be concrete. Christian liberty then looks like simple faithfulness to what God has already said. [02:59]
• 2. Expect a hard, faithful message [10:20] Isaiah is sent to a people who will not hear, yet he still goes. The gospel smells like life to some and like death to others, so offense is not failure but a mark of faithfulness. Naming sin without flinching and offering mercy without trimming truth is part of the call. Courage grows when the messenger loves God’s glory more than acceptance. [10:20]
• 3. Trust God to provide the means [16:48] Moses lists limits, and God answers with presence, signs, and a spokesman. The God who made the mouth knows how to fill it, and the path often appears only after the first step. Provision may come in surprising forms that keep boasting off the table. Weakness becomes a stage where power is seen, not a reason to sit out. [16:48]
• 4. Obedience walks before sight [25:34] Abraham moves forward with knife in hand and promise in heart. The name The Lord will provide is learned on the mountain, not at the base. God ends child sacrifice by providing his own Son, making substitution the center of hope. Costly surrender becomes the place where deeper assurance is born. [25:34]
• 5. Leave the results to God [30:05] Ananias visits a hunter turned blind penitent because Jesus already prepared the soil. Planting and watering matter, but growth belongs to God, which frees the messenger from panic and pressure. No person or community sits beyond the reach of sovereign grace. Faithfulness looks like clear truth in love, then prayerful trust with open hands. [30:05]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:26] - Opening prayer and aim
• [01:11] - Personal need and sermon title
• [02:31] - Here I am in Scripture
• [02:59] - Point 1: Know Father and word
• [05:46] - Samuel’s backstory and setting
• [07:50] - Speak, Lord: learning to listen
• [08:47] - Testing messages by the word
• [10:20] - Point 2: A hard message
• [11:34] - Isaiah’s vision and commission
• [13:59] - Gospel as aroma of life or death
• [16:48] - Point 3: God provides the means
• [20:04] - Who made the mouth
• [25:34] - The Lord will provide
• [26:58] - Point 4: Results are God’s work
• [28:53] - Ananias says, Here I am
• [31:16] - The Great Commission
• [33:59] - Here I am, send me
• [34:33] - Closing prayer

Bible Reading
1 Samuel 3:1-10 (ESV)
Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”

Isaiah 6:8-10 (ESV)
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” And he said, “Go, and say to this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

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Observation Questions

1. In 1 Samuel 3:7, why did Samuel initially mistake God’s voice for Eli’s? What does the text say about his spiritual condition at that time?
2. What specific instruction did Eli give Samuel to help him recognize God’s voice, and how did Samuel respond afterward?
3. In Isaiah 6:8-10, what paradoxical message was Isaiah called to deliver, and how might this have felt conflicting for him?
4. The sermon mentioned that the gospel is “a fragrance of life to some and death to others” ([13:59]). What examples of this tension were given in the sermon?

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Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think God chose to reveal His word to Samuel after Eli’s guidance, even though Samuel was already serving in the temple? What does this suggest about the relationship between mentorship and spiritual discernment?
2. Isaiah’s message in 6:9-10 seems harsh. How does this align with the sermon’s emphasis on sharing truth even when it’s unpopular or rejected?
3. The sermon stated, “God’s provision may not look like comfort, but it will match His promise” ([25:34]). How did Abraham’s experience on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22) illustrate this principle?
4. Why might Ananias’ obedience to visit Saul (Acts 9) challenge our assumptions about who is “beyond reach” in sharing the gospel?

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Application Questions

1. Samuel had to learn to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” What practical steps could you take this week to create space to listen to God’s Word with that same posture?
2. When have you avoided speaking truth (about sin, mercy, or the gospel) because you feared rejection? What would it look like to prioritize faithfulness over comfort in a specific relationship or situation?
3. The sermon emphasized trusting God’s provision in weakness ([16:48]). Where do you feel inadequate or ill-equipped to obey God right now? How could you step forward in faith despite those feelings?
4. Ananias’ mission to Saul required surrendering control of the outcome. Is there a person or circumstance where you’ve been hesitant to act because you’re fixated on results? How might you shift your focus to obedience instead?
5. The gospel’s message can “smell like death” to those rejecting it ([13:59]). How can you balance boldness with gentleness when sharing truth in a culture that often views biblical convictions as offensive?