Hearing God SpeakFitchburg Nazarene Church

September 08, 2013

Opening:People have a tendency to listen only to what they want to listen to…

The story has been told about the man who noticed that every time he ate his favorite food, chitlins, his foot pained him immensely that evening. The family physician confirmed his suspicion of pork-induced gout, and when he returned home from the doctor’s office, his wife asked him how the appointment had gone. This fellow plopped off his shoes, dropped to the couch and replied, "The doctor said I’m going to

have gout about 3 times a week."

APPLY:

People have a tendency to listen only to what they want to hear. The Bible even tells us that. God’s Word informs us that "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9).

In Ezekiel, God complained that "these people have ears to hear but they never hear eyes to see, but they never see" (Ezekiel 12:2).

But God knew people would be like that… and so repeatedly thru scripture you can hear God say: "Listen to me! Listen to me!"

Hear the word of the Lord! (Josh. 3:9; 1 Sam. 15:1; Jer. 2:4; Jer. 17:20; Jer. 19:3; Jer. 21:11; Jer. 22:2; Jer. 29:20; Jer. 34:4; Jer. 44:24; Jer. 44:26; Ezek. 37:4; Hos. 4:1; Amos 7:16); land, land, land, hear the word of the Lord (Jer. 22:29); hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, Israel (Amos 3:1); hear this word which I take up as a lament for you (Amos 5:1); hear the word which the Lord speaks to you (Jer. 10:1); listen to the Lord’s voice (Deut. 13:4); hear this, O priests! (Hos. 5:1); hear this, you who trample the needy (Amos 8:4); hear now, heads of Jacob (Mic. 3:1); hear this, heads of the house of Jacob (Mic. 3:9); hear, O Israel! (Deut. 6:4; Deut. 9:1); hear, O my people! (Ps. 50:7; Ps. 81:8); hear, all you peoples, listen O earth (Mic. 1:2); hear, all you people! (2 Chr. 18:27); hear this word (Jer. 28:7); give ear, people of Gomorrah (Isa. 1:10); hear the word of the Lord, rulers of Sodom! (Isa. 1:10); hear, O kings! (Judg. 5:3); pay heed! (Ps. 94:8); listen, for the Lord has spoken (Jer. 13:15);

listen to me (Ps. 34:11); listen, O daughter (Ps. 45:10); hear this, all peoples! (Ps. 49:1); listen to my instruction (Ps. 78:1); give ear, heaven and earth! (Deut. 32:1); he that will hear, let him hear (Ezek. 3:27); listen, that you may live (Isa. 55:3); those who [falsely] say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord’ (Ezek. 13:2).1

JESUS SAID: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.John 10:27

Oh, that my people would listen to me! Ps. 81:13

1 Day, C. A. (2009). Collins Thesaurus of the Bible. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

JESUS SAID: He that has ears, let him hear.Matt. 11:15

Why does God want us to listen?

Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you” (Deuteronomy 6:3).

Nobody wants a spanking – right?

But sometimes when we ignore our parents, that’s what happens.It was avoidable – but we did our own thing.

Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.

Isaiah 55:3

What God’s saying in the Bible is, =

oI want to bless you.

oI want to give you what your heart desires…

oBUT I can’t if you won’t listen.

Now let’s review… 1. God wants us to hear His voice2. And God wants us to hear His voice because that’s the only way we’ll receive all the blessings He wants to give us3. But we struggle with this because our hearts are deceitful (that is, we hear only what we want to hear, and we tend to put

our priorities above God’s priorities.)

Even the most righteous do this occasionally because even the most righteous has a deceitful heart.

1. How do we protect ourselves from this disease and open ourselves up to the full blessings God wants to place in our lives?

READ : I Samuel 3:1-15

Where was Samuel when God 1st called his name?

He was lying down in the Temple of the Lord where the Ark was. (Vs. 3)

Now, I believe that every word of Scripture is there for a reason. For example, in this passage, God could simply have said: “Samuel was sleeping” BUT God goes into detail. It’s as if God is saying: "I want you to know WHERE Samuel was sleeping."

If I’m right, why would God give us these details? I believe it was because God wanted us to see that when Samuel heard God’s voice he was sleeping NEXT to God.

In Other Words: Proximity is critical: If you’re gonna hear – you’ve gotta be near.

James 4:8 tells us "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you."

ILLUS:

Judy often needs to be certain that she has my attention – especially if she really wants me to hear her – to follow through on whatever she is talking to me about.If I’m watching the Patriots and she calls my name from the kitchen – it is unlikely that I’m truly paying attention to her – even if I say, “What?”

She can get frustrated.In times like these, Judy will often treat me like a young boy with ADHD – why??? Let’s not get into that!BUT, she will come into the living room to get me, or call me out into the kitchen to look her straight in the eye while she talks to me.

Why does Judy go to such lengths? Because she knows - if I’m not looking her in the eye – I’m probably not listening to her anymore.

If you’re going to hear God’s voice; if you’re going to know His will

- you’ve got to be in the same room as He is.

That’s why Church attendance is critical. That’s why Bible study is essential.

Jesus said: "Wherever two or more are gathered in my name - there I am in the midst of you."

Another, but no less critical activity that places you "in the same room, is prayer.

I’m not just talking arrow prayers or emergency prayers… but a "sit down and spend time with God" type prayer.

1. So, the first thing we need to work on is "being in the same room" with God.

2. We need to work on our priorities.

There will be times when listening to God will be inconvenient.

Reread vss. 8 & 9.

"The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ’Here I am; you called me.’ Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, ’Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place."

ILLUS: Those who know me best know that there are 2 things you don’t mess with. You don’t mess with the food on my plate, and you don’t mess with my sleep.

If I had been Samuel, and I heard my name being called (act it out… progressively getting more frustrated and angry “Whaaat!”)

For me to continually be woken from sleep is inconvenient

- I don’t like it. Those who are wise don’t do it.

But I suppose God could if He really wanted to.

God often calls us to things that 1. don’t fit our schedule2. don’t fit our agenda3. don’t fit our ideas of what should be done

ILLUS: Say you have a neighbor boy. He’s a brat. He’s insolent, arrogant,

disrespectful, and generally, just a big troublemaker. There have been times that you have thought of what you might do if you met this kid in a dark alley when no one could witness your response to his rude behavior.

But you know what the word of God tells you to do???

In Luke 6:27-36 Jesus tells us: "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn

to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.Do to others as you would have them do to you."If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full.But love your enemies, do good to them,

and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

To be honest, I don’t like to think about doing that… it’s "inconvenient."

But, if I’m going to grow to be like Jesus – I better learn to be inconvenienced.

3. Lastly, in order to hear God, I have to give God permission to speak to me.

In I Samuel 3:9 & 10 we’re told Eli’s advice to Samuel. His advice? Give God permission to speak.

That’s great advice, but it’s odd Eli should give it. Eli hadn’t listened to for years.

In vss. 12-14 God tells Samuel…"At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family— from beginning to end. For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin

he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them. Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’"

The reason God gave His message to Samuel was partly because Eli had refused to listen.

In Closing: If you’re going to hear God, you’ve got to give Him permission to speak to your heart… and that’s not always easy, particularly when our hearts often deceive us. But once we make that decision, it can change our lives.

Scott Harrell tells the story of Roy. Roy had regularly attended church as a child, but was raised in a bizarre, legalistic church family that warped his life. At church, his dad was a pillar, active in the church and even served as a deacon, but at home dad was an abusive monster.

As soon as he could, Roy bolted from the church and wanted nothing to do with it. He was a crude, rude man who looked out for number one. He didn’t pretend to be one thing at church, while he was something else at home, he didn’t pretend at all. Roy was a scoundrel and a cheat, and he didn’t care who knew it.

When he turned 60, Roy started coming to church again. He’d walk in late, sit on the back row and listen for a while, but would always leave before the service ended. Brother Scott would try to witness to Roy, but Roy wouldn’t have anything to do with the gospel or those hypocrites down at the church.

But he kept coming to church. Listening and watching, but mostly watching the people.

Within a couple of years, God got a hold of him, and changed Roy’s life. "The people loved him to Christ." Bro. Scott said, "today he is a sweet loving man."

Roy’s transformation took sixty years, but it began when he sat down next to God and began to listen to what the Heavenly Father wanted to tell him.

I NEED TO ASK YOU:Have you been listening to the Father?

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Hearing God When He Speaks

by Jeff Strite

July 1999

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