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Listening to God's Voice Through His Word (Luke 8:16-21)
12 Plays11 days ago
Sunday Message recorded 08 June 2025
by Senior Pastor Victor Morrison
First Baptist Church - Columbus, TX, USA
1700 Milam St.
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Personal Story
00:00:06
Speaker
Good morning. Would you turn with me to Luke chapter 8, beginning with verse 16. Luke chapter 8, beginning with verse 16.
00:00:17
Speaker
Yesterday, i was out in the yard and I couldn't get my weed eater mowing, so I yanked on it and yanked on it. I think about maybe yank number 75. I finally got it going. But anyway, I believe I strained my back in doing that. So this morning, rather than going up front and getting on my knees, I thought they'll have to get a crane in here to get me up, you know. But anyway...
Biblical Reflections and Listening to God
00:00:40
Speaker
I was praying, I was even praying this morning. And you know, when I was praying through God's word this morning, just naturally in my Bible reading, I came to Acts chapter six. And I thought about how the Lord used Stephen, that deacon Stephen.
00:00:56
Speaker
And I was thinking, you know, there are so many things we could learn from him. But at the end of the chapter, it said that they were gazing at him. And he had a face like an angel.
00:01:09
Speaker
But I was thinking about that and I thought, you know, I believe when it says they were they were gazing at him, it means they noticed his service. It was like distinguished service. You know, the military has an award that they present to some.
00:01:23
Speaker
It's called the Distinguished Service Medal. And so I thought, you know, if I was just giving out medals, I would certainly have given one out to Stephen. Sometime you should go to Acts chapter six.
00:01:37
Speaker
but also I think about the counselors who are here from Pine Cove. It's been so good having you guys with us each time. But you know I think you guys are to get some kind of distinguished service medal because I was out there one day and look how roughed up I am. You're out there every day jumping and welcoming those who come to camp.
00:01:56
Speaker
So appreciate all that you guys are doing. And it's certainly good to have our youth back from their camp as well. And so look forward to hearing from each one of you how God used that camp in your lives. We were praying for you and are so grateful that you had a good time and you made it back safely.
00:02:14
Speaker
But this morning, I want to talk about listening to God's voice through his word. If God has something to say to you, and he does, would you want to know it?
00:02:24
Speaker
Would you want to say, Lord, if you've got something for me today in this passage, I would like to hear it. You know, i believe that God can speak and does speak. You know, sometimes the problem is with the listener, right? Sometimes I'm not listening the way I should to God.
00:02:42
Speaker
heard about one husband and wife who were having a little bit of trouble. In their particular marriage, the communication breakdown, According to the wife was with the husband. He was always multitasking and tinkering on something and she was trying to tell him something that's important So she said you never look at me and So finally he looks at her just like this and she's trying to tell him something and finally she's had enough of it and She says stop it.
00:03:09
Speaker
You're deliberately listening just to confuse me and so anyway, it's like Wait a minute, you know he's like, I can't win, you know. But then there was another situation I heard where it was the wife that was always scrolling on her cell phone and the husband's trying to tell her something and she's not listening. And so finally he says, I've got a riddle and I want to just prove it to you that you're not listening whenever I'm talking.
00:03:33
Speaker
So she says, okay, give it to me. So he said, let's pretend that you're the engineer of a train. There are 36 on board and the train made three stops.
00:03:44
Speaker
At the first stop, 10 got off and two got on. You got that, Thor? Second stop, zero got off, but five got on. And at the final third stop, four got off and two got on.
00:03:58
Speaker
He said, now for the question. What was the name of the conductor? And she got frustrated and said, how should I know? And he said, see, I told you, you're never listening when I'm talking. I said at the beginning, you were the engineer, you're the conductor. So anyway, she was frustrated and he was frustrated. But sometimes the problem is with the listener.
00:04:21
Speaker
You know, 30 times in the Old Testament, God says, I want you to listen to what I'm saying. 30 times in the Old Testament, it says, hear the word of the Lord. 12 times in Isaiah alone.
00:04:33
Speaker
Even in the New Testament, you remember what the father said on the Mount of Transfiguration to the disciples, three of the disciples that were up there with him? In Mark chapter 9, verse 7, he said, this is my son,
00:04:47
Speaker
Listen to him. Would you say that you're the kind of person that really wants to hear what God's got to say? Are you listening? You know three times Jesus said, he who has ears, let him hear in the gospel of Matthew.
00:05:01
Speaker
Matthew 11, 15 and 13, nine and 13, 43. But seven times to seven different churches in the book of Revelation in chapters two and three, the Lord said, he who has an ear,
00:05:15
Speaker
Let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. You know, sometimes I think the problem is with our listening. It's not that God is not speaking. We're not listening closely enough.
Hearing Aids and Parable of the Sower
00:05:27
Speaker
You know, the history of hearing aids is fascinating. I don't have a hearing aid and I've never used one, so I don't know a lot about it, so I thought I'd look it up. And I thought, well, it began with someone cupping their hand behind their ear. I'm sure somewhere back there in time it began that way. But then suddenly they began to think, well, if I hollow out maybe an animal horn and I listen with that, then maybe I could hear a little better.
00:05:52
Speaker
And then they came up with something called ear horns that were actually manufactured. And then there were speaking tubes. After Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone, they came up with electric hearing aids and then transistors to today's fully digital devices using Bluetooth technology. Maybe some of you have one here today. Can you hear me? Well, hearing and seeing are the result of intricate, God-given mechanisms and systems.
00:06:23
Speaker
It's not the product of random chance. You know, the the reason that you hear me today is because God blessed you with hearing. You know, Proverbs 20, verse 12, clearly states the designer of our hearing and the giver of our hearing.
00:06:42
Speaker
It says in Proverbs 20, 12, the hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both. And he gave those to you and he gave them to me.
00:06:55
Speaker
Wow. You know, I appreciate so much the message that Josh gave us last week from Luke 8, 4 through 15. I don't know if you were listening, but if you were, there was a key word that was mentioned as he went through that passage. And that same key word is mentioned twice again in the passage that I'm about to read.
00:07:16
Speaker
I believe it's a key word that connects his message that he gave last week and what God wants to say to us this week. You know, this week we're going to look at Luke chapter 8, verses 16 to 21. Do you know that if you put the message from last week, that passage and this passage together, you would see the word here nine times in just 18 verses.
00:07:41
Speaker
But what's the key issue? The key issues are given to us in the text that I'm about to read. When I read it, I want you to listen for two things.
00:07:52
Speaker
Verse 18, listen for how we're supposed to pay attention while we're hearing The second one is we should apply what God says to us through his word.
00:08:04
Speaker
So the first one is the tension. The second one is application. But I put on the screen there for you all these different times the word here is mentioned in this passage.
00:08:16
Speaker
But you know... Even when we're paying close attention, we're hearing God's word, how accurately and completely we' are applying the scriptures to life. You know what that determines?
00:08:28
Speaker
It'll determine where you are on the spectrum of Josh's message last week with those four different soils that were given. if you don't really care to hear what God has to say, then you may be like the hardened heart that's like trampled soil.
00:08:44
Speaker
Or you could be like the shallow, shallow heart with that rocky soil or the cluttered heart with thorny soil. Or maybe i think we have a lot of people here today that would be in this one, the fruitful heart that has good soil.
00:09:01
Speaker
But I want to read through Luke 8, 16 to 21. And I want you today to say, God, speak to me. Whenever I'm reading your word, is there something that I'm missing?
00:09:13
Speaker
Is there something you want to use these verses to correct, to improve my hearing ability so that I can hear your voice? And when we pray, why don't you say, God, I really want to hear you.
00:09:25
Speaker
You remember what Samuel said? Speak, Lord, for your servant listens. Why don't you stand as I read through these few verses that are here before us. Luke 8, 16, down through verse 21.
00:09:37
Speaker
No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a jar. or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand so that those who enter may see the light.
00:09:50
Speaker
For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care then how you hear.
00:10:04
Speaker
For to the one who has, more will be given. and from the one who has not even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.
00:10:16
Speaker
Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, your mother and your brothers are standing outside desiring to see you.
00:10:29
Speaker
But he answered them, my mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. Let's pray. Lord, we want to hear.
00:10:40
Speaker
Today, I pray that you would take your living and active word and speak to us. Help us, oh Lord, to really listen closely. And I believe that you're going to train us today on how to listen so that we can actually hear the voice of our creator, the voice of our savior, the voice of one who loves us more than anyone else in the whole world.
00:11:01
Speaker
In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Thank you you. may be seated. you know, as I studied the content of this passage this week, the Lord convinced me that the training pertains to verse 18.
00:11:15
Speaker
Take care then how you hear. How are you hearing? Are you listening closely today? Four ways to improve your spiritual listening skills, I believe, is what we have here.
00:11:27
Speaker
So I thought, am I off? I mean, is this about, this about light. This is about something you see, right? So at first I thought that can't be correct, but the Holy Spirit kept saying it. So I looked up a few things and i thought, oh, wow.
00:11:41
Speaker
George Whitfield had a message on this passage called Directions, How to Hear Sermons. Wow. C.H. Spurgeon had one called Heedful Hearing. And then John MacArthur has one called Be Careful How You Listen.
00:11:55
Speaker
So I think that listening and hearing is what it's all about. So because it's so important to your spiritual growth and development, I want you to listen closely. Let's start with verse 16.
00:12:08
Speaker
I think that we should listen to God enthusiastically. I think that that's the picture that we're given here about this light. No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with ah with a jar or puts it under a bed But what do they do? They put it on a stand so that those who enter may see the light.
00:12:32
Speaker
You may say, i don't quite get the connection here with this whole idea of the... enthusiastic. Well, if you were to go to Hebrews chapter 5 verses 11 through 14, he gets the idea really clear.
00:12:49
Speaker
And what he says is, I've got so much more that I want to say, but he said, here's the thing, you've become dull of hearing. The word dull there in the Greek means sluggish.
00:13:01
Speaker
It means a person who's bored, a person who's lazy, a person who's simply numb. And so what does he say would have happened or should have happened by this time?
00:13:12
Speaker
He says, you should have been teaching. You should have been passing on the scriptures that you knew. You should have been telling other people. You should have been talking about it. And I thought, how about that?
00:13:24
Speaker
There it is. You know, Jeremiah the prophet says in Jeremiah 15, 16, your words became to me joy and the delight of my heart.
00:13:36
Speaker
Does Bible study seem boring to you or does Bible study seem a delight? You can't wait to get up in the morning and to spend that time with the Lord in his word.
00:13:48
Speaker
You know, the Bible compares God's word and truth, biblical truth, to light. Probably there's people in this room who have this memorized, Psalm 119, 105. Your word feet and light to path.
00:14:00
Speaker
your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path It's amazing, you know, because we've just come off of another parable there where now he's switching the metaphor from sowing seeds like Josh talked about to now he's talking about the metaphor of light or truth.
00:14:22
Speaker
And so, you know, I remember when Jody and I were dating. And it was so fun. We were at Southwestern Seminary where our youth were just this past week. And I told Jody, I said, I've got an idea how to deepen our dating relationship.
00:14:37
Speaker
And she said, how's that? And I said, I think that each week we are to ask God for a memory verse for ourselves. And then we're going to share the memory verse and we each will memorize it together.
00:14:50
Speaker
And so she said, yeah, I like that idea. That's a good idea. So anyway, we thought that would be awesome. So the first time we're walking around the seminary, it's a pretty good block there if you walked around it while you were there. But when we got there, I said, just tell me what's your verse?
00:15:06
Speaker
She said, well, it's Ephesians 5, 8 through I said, okay. And she said, what's your verse? And I said, you're not going to believe it out of the whole Bible. We could have picked anywhere in the whole Bible. You know where God, the Holy spirit led me to go Ephesians five, 15 to 17. And I said, isn't that amazing? I said, you picked Ephesians five. I picked Ephesians five.
00:15:30
Speaker
And so anyway, I said, well, tell me about your verse. And part of her verse says this, and this is why it's important to what we're reading. The fruit of the light, the is found in all that is good and right and true.
00:15:47
Speaker
I wish I could still quote it. I mean, we're coming up on our 40th wedding anniversary. And so I just want you to know a little bit of time is going under the bridge since we memorized those bad dogs. But anyway, the imagery is after you hear the word.
00:16:02
Speaker
What happens when you hear a Bible study? What happens when you open God's word and you're reading your devotions out of God's word? I'll tell you what happens. God lights something down in your soul.
00:16:15
Speaker
Your soul comes to life. You can see finally. But whenever it comes to light light and to life, wouldn't it be impractical after hearing the word of God and God lights the place up on the inside?
00:16:31
Speaker
Wouldn't it be impractical to say, now I think I'll just cover that up. I think I'll just stuff that under my bed along with all those dust bunnies and everything else. Well, that would be impractical, wouldn't it? Why would you do that?
00:16:43
Speaker
Probably the light would go out. No, what we do when we read something that really means something to us, you know what we do? We put it on a stand. We say, I'm going to live that verse this week.
00:16:55
Speaker
I'm going to share that verse this week. I am so excited about what God said to me through the Sunday School lesson or through the sermon or through my own personal devotions. God spoke to me.
00:17:08
Speaker
And so now we're wanting to put it on a stand so that it can help someone else. And what do we call that light? We call it illumination. Illumination happens after we're hearing the Word of God. It says, so that those who enter may see the light.
00:17:27
Speaker
Isn't that neat? That those who are still living in darkness, all you got to do is tell them what you know. All you got to do is tell them the truths that God's been telling you. And you know what could happen?
00:17:38
Speaker
Their lives could suddenly be in the light instead of in the darkness. And some of you may say, well, why is that enthusiastic? Because you don't want to keep that light to yourself.
00:17:50
Speaker
Whatever the word of God said to you, you're like, I want to shine that all over Columbus. I want to shine it whenever I start back to school. I want to shine it as I go through the summer. I want to shine it when I'm at work.
00:18:05
Speaker
You know, maybe you're thinking back and you're saying, wait a minute, wait, wait, wait, wait. what Whenever he was talking about the parable of the soils, didn't he say that one of the problems is for somebody that the seed gets over there and they rejoice for a little while and then they don't rejoice anymore?
00:18:24
Speaker
No, you see, it's not the presence of joy. Go back and read verse 13 again. It's not the presence of joy whenever the seed comes in there. It's the absence of depth.
00:18:36
Speaker
Depth. You see, it's not your delight in God's word. It's the missing depth in God's word that causes you to say, you know what? I believe I'm just going to move on in my life.
00:18:49
Speaker
But enthusiastically, listening to God's word is you know at any point, He may show you something you've never seen before. So let's move to the second thing.
00:18:59
Speaker
Not only should we listen to God enthusiastically or eagerly, we should also listen to God transparently.
Transparency and Wisdom in Listening
00:19:07
Speaker
Let's read verse 17 again. Would you look at with me in your translation? For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that That will not be known and come to light.
00:19:23
Speaker
Well, some people say, well, that's when Jesus comes back. Yes, that is what will happen when Jesus comes back. But I think it also happens now. I think it happens now.
00:19:34
Speaker
Whenever we get into God's word, I think that God will show us things that are in our lives that shouldn't be there. You see, because listening to the scriptures, remember, listening to the scriptures leads to lighting of the soul. So now your soul's got light.
00:19:53
Speaker
But when your soul lights up, you're gonna say, what's that doing here? What is that? ah Who put that there? You know, the other night I about tripped over my work boots that I'd left on the way to the restroom. So I didn't bother to turn on the not turn on the light.
00:20:07
Speaker
So on the way back, I turned on the light said, wow, who put those work boots there? And I thought, oh, yeah, I remember setting those there myself. That's how it is a lot of times, right? Don't we hide things in the darkness? We set things in the darkness.
00:20:22
Speaker
Why don't you write down, if you're taking notes, conceal. We conceal sin in our lives. And that's what the whole idea is in verse 17, right? He talks about things that are hidden.
00:20:35
Speaker
He talks about things that are secret. Is there anything that you're trying to hide from God? Anything that is you're you're trying to keep it secret from God? There's no use.
00:20:46
Speaker
You see, tonight, if the Lord wills, we're going to look at Joshua 6, and we're going to see a great victory. We're going to talk about pulling down strongholds, and we're going to see how God brought down a stronghold that was named Jericho.
00:21:00
Speaker
But in the next chapter... In chapter 7, he's going to introduce us to a biblical character named Achan. And Achan was Achan after he messed up.
00:21:12
Speaker
He stole some things from Jericho and he wasn't supposed to. You know what he did with them? He took them into his tent and he hid them under a rug. What is it that's under the rug?
00:21:24
Speaker
It's something concealed that you know God wouldn't be pleased with. Well, you know what you need to do? Get in the word. Because you know what the word will do to that which is concealed?
00:21:35
Speaker
He will reveal what is hidden in the darkness. He rule will reveal sin that's in our lives. That's why he uses the word made manifest, be known.
00:21:46
Speaker
If you're quick on the draw, you can follow me, but I guarantee I'm going right back to Luke chapter 8. But John chapter 3 verses 19 down through 21 sort of tells me what I think I'm trying to tell you.
00:22:01
Speaker
Listen to this. This is Jesus talking and this is the judgment, the light. has come into the world and people love the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
00:22:15
Speaker
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light. Why? Lest his works should be exposed.
00:22:27
Speaker
But whoever does what is true comes to the light so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God. God will encourage us, but first he has to show us what's blocking the blessing.
00:22:42
Speaker
What is it that's hindering you? What's hindering me from seeing all that God wants to do in our lives? If we're just getting the word of God, he'll show it to us. So the the third word that I put out there, in addition to conceal and reveal, is to get real.
00:22:59
Speaker
We need to get real about sin in our lives. That's why i like the way this verse ends, come to the light. Why don't you come to the light? Bring it all into the light. Take it to God in scripture. Take it to the Lord in prayer and say, Lord, what should I do about this? Can you give me victory over this?
00:23:18
Speaker
You know, when you put it all together, I think what you've got here is confrontation of sin through the scriptures. Then you've got somebody who's willing to be compliant. Somebody who's not going to resist the truth of God's word. Somebody who's going to welcome the truth of God's word. So you've got someone that's compliant about sin according to God's standards.
00:23:40
Speaker
And so now you're saying, okay. But then what do you do whenever there's something there? The Word of God uncovers something that was hidden in the darkness. It's easy.
00:23:51
Speaker
Confession. Confession. Do you know what it means to confess your sins? I remember when I was a student at Union University, the very first time I learned this and I thought,
00:24:02
Speaker
I've never, I didn't know that before. Maybe you don't know this, but the word confess that's used in great promises like 1 John 1, verse 9, if we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us. You know what the word confess there is in the Greek?
00:24:19
Speaker
It's homologeo. And it means to say the same thing, to say the same thing. So rather than resisting the truth of God's word, the standards of God's word, you know what this person's saying?
00:24:33
Speaker
This person is saying, I'm ready to get real. And I'm ready to say, if you say it's wrong, I say it's wrong because you said it's wrong. Wow, that's powerful. So listening to God transparently refers to our openness and willingness to make adjustments when he brings our sin into the light of his word.
00:24:54
Speaker
Are you willing to do that when you come to Bible study? Maybe a Bible study here at our church. Maybe just a Bible study your house. Maybe a Bible study with the one who's discipling you. I don't know where it might be, but all I know is whenever you're listening to God's word, come to it transparently.
00:25:11
Speaker
Nothing to hide. The other thing is come to it enthusiastically. Say, God, I'm eager to be here and I want to hear your voice. Let's move to verse 18 and learn a third skill.
00:25:25
Speaker
If we're going to really hear God's voice, then you need the third one as well. We should listen to God carefully. That is what it's talking about in verse 18, right? Take care then,
00:25:38
Speaker
how you hear. Take care. Take care how you hear. For to the one who has, more will be given. And from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.
00:25:53
Speaker
So let me break it down in my own way. I remember one lady on my staff said to me, does God really speak to you with those first letter of each word? And said, yes, he does. you know So anyway, I'm sorry. You don't have to do that in your Bible study. It's just the way I i think.
00:26:09
Speaker
But here's the thing. Attention. attention to the word of God. The word there, take care, is the word for look. It's the word blepo. The word blepo, it's a present imperative. And so God is saying, you better be watching out in your life, paying attention to what's going on around you.
00:26:29
Speaker
But as you're doing that, I think we also need affection for the word of God. Affection for the word of God. you know that in Psalm 119 verse 97, David said something really interesting there.
00:26:43
Speaker
He said, I love your law. Do you love God's word? I'm not saying do read God's word? you like it? I'm saying, do you really love it?
00:26:55
Speaker
He would go on to say, it's it's really better to me than all the gold and silver. It's better to me than the honey and the honeycomb. It's sweet to my taste.
00:27:06
Speaker
And so I'm thinking, wow. If that's your attitude toward God's word, you're in this first camp of those who have. For to the one who has, you've already been given truth from God's word if you're embracing God's word.
00:27:21
Speaker
But you know, when you embrace God's word, something else happens. Because you embraced it and didn't resist it, you know what God's going to do? He's going to show you more. In other words, if you stand on this promise or if you live by this word that he gave you in terms of guidance and direction in your life, you know he's going to do He's going to be ready to give you even more insight.
00:27:42
Speaker
And so I thought, well, that's addition. So you have attention to the word and affection for the word. You have addition from the word. As a matter of fact, Y'all got to go anywhere? If you don't have to go anywhere, I just want to share something with Psalm 119.
00:27:58
Speaker
Listen to this. Maybe you would say, what happens if I love God's word? What would be added to my life? I can tell you from Psalm 119 verses 97 to 104. Listen, it's like a list.
00:28:11
Speaker
He just gives you a list. You know, it's sort of sad to me. He didn't start with, you know, the same letter there. But anyway, it's okay. In the Hebrew, he did. But it says, oh, how I love your law. It is my meditation all the day.
00:28:23
Speaker
Now get this. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.
00:28:37
Speaker
Now students, don't go telling your teacher, I know how to get smarter and you in this Sunday school lesson stuff. No, the verse 100. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precept. I hold back my feet.
00:28:49
Speaker
from every evil way in order to keep your word. I do not turn aside from your rules for you have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.
00:29:03
Speaker
Is life bitter to you right now? It can be sweeter if you just spend time in God's word. Through your precepts, I get understanding. Is there anything you'd say, i don't understand this.
00:29:15
Speaker
Therefore, I hate every false way. All I'm saying is there's so many benefits to listening to God, to getting into his word. But let's say that you're the type person you'd say, I already know all God's word.
00:29:29
Speaker
I've already got it all down. I don't have to listen to anybody teach or preach. I don't want to listen to any podcasts on you know the Bible. I don't want to go to a Sunday school class and learn more. I already know it all.
00:29:41
Speaker
Well, the the rest of this verse actually speaks about that. It says, take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, this is the person who loves God's word, more will be given. So he's going to have more and more given to him.
00:29:55
Speaker
But then it says, and for the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away. You know what I think of when I see that? For the one who thinks that he has will be taken away. Assumption.
00:30:12
Speaker
Sometimes we assume, I don't need to go to Bible study because i already know everything. Oh, really? Well, then that may be the end of God giving you more and more insight.
00:30:23
Speaker
Because what it says next is attrition. Attrition of the word. You know, the Greek word there is airo. It means to lift up. It means to carry away It means remove. means to remove.
00:30:39
Speaker
Wow, don't you want to say, God, I want to read God's word enthusiastically, transparently, and carefully. Can you think of anyone in the scriptures that read God's word carefully?
00:30:53
Speaker
We've got a Sunday school class in our church named the Bereans. I love that name. It's a great biblical name from Acts chapter 17. There was a new church there, there were new disciples there.
00:31:04
Speaker
And so listen to what it says about them. They were, it says they received the word. They're not rejecting the word. They're not resisting. that They're receiving the word with all eagerness.
00:31:18
Speaker
And you know what else else they're doing? They're examining the scriptures daily, every day to see if these things were so. And that's that's spot on with what this verse is talking about.
00:31:30
Speaker
If we will just come to God's word, listen that way and say, Lord, I really want to listen carefully because I don't want to stop growing. I don't want to stop knowing who you are.
00:31:41
Speaker
I don't want to miss your best for my life. Well, let me close with one last thing, and that is we should listen to God responsively, responsively.
Action and Response to God’s Word
00:31:51
Speaker
Jesus' mother and his brother show up So i'm thinking, okay, wow, why is that important? Well, it's important because of something he says at the last part in verse 21.
00:32:02
Speaker
My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. Wow. What response is the father looking for whenever we're listening to his word?
00:32:16
Speaker
I think that's a pretty good idea right there. But I want to back up and I want to look at Jesus' mom and his brothers. Do you know that they traveled 30 miles to come to him?
00:32:27
Speaker
How far have you traveled to come? How far would you be willing to go? to get to know Jesus? Would you be willing to come down to church aisle? Would you be willing to say, you know what, I'll drive across town.
00:32:39
Speaker
I'll drive across the county if I can just hear what God wants from me. They traveled to hear the word of God, but when they got there, you know what happened? There was so many people crowded around Jesus, they couldn't even get in there to talk to him.
00:32:54
Speaker
And so they couldn't even get in the building. It says they're waiting outside and they sent a note in here and they said, your mom and your brothers want you to come outside. What were all those people crowded in there doing?
00:33:06
Speaker
They were listening. They were listening as Jesus was teaching. And what does that tell us? Well, maybe they were from Capernaum. Maybe they were from far away. But we can't assume they traveled. But one thing we know for certain, they gave time, didn't they?
00:33:22
Speaker
It's going to take time for you to spend time each day, each morning in this book. But i'm guarantee I will guarantee you, God will make it worth God will make it worth it if you'll take the time to have a daily devotion time where you read a little bit in his word, pray about your day, pray over what you just read about, pray over those who have needs in your life.
00:33:47
Speaker
But the main thing that happened that Jesus brought out is that last part. These people hear the word of God and they do it. It's almost like now we're at a transaction where the Lord's been putting things in our hearts.
00:34:04
Speaker
But it's time now to transact that into my life. It's time to live it out and to be honest about it and to be real about it. Do you remember in Luke 6, 46 to 49, there was a parable of two builders.
00:34:19
Speaker
You know, both of those builders did the same thing. You know what it was? They heard the word of God. They heard the word of God. So you're thinking, okay, they did everything they were supposed to do.
00:34:31
Speaker
No, not quite. Remember in that parable, one builder, it says he heard the word of God and he went out and he practiced it. He did it.
00:34:42
Speaker
He applied it to his life. The other builder, he didn't. He heard the word, but it went in one ear, went out the other ear. And so Jesus said, you know what they're like? They're like one guy building on a rock, the other guy building on sand. And when the flood came,
00:34:59
Speaker
The guy that built his whole life on sand, just listening, never doing, he just washed away. His house washed away. The guy that built his house on on the rock, his house was not shaken.
00:35:12
Speaker
If you will listen to God whenever the Word of God is being taught, preached, read, then I guarantee you, if you'll come four ways, if you'll say, Lord, I'm coming eagerly, enthusiastically.
00:35:25
Speaker
Lord, I'm coming transparently. If there's something out of adjustment in my life, all I need you to do is tell me. Show me in your Word. But then also, if you listen to God's Word carefully.
00:35:37
Speaker
Lord, I don't want to miss anything. i want i want to get it all down. i want to keep growing. I want to keep learning. Show me something fresh, Lord. But then lastly, if you'll listen to God's word responsibly, he's going to do great things.
00:35:52
Speaker
You know, I want to close with two verses that are kind of out of this passage, but they're related to the passage. Do you know when the first time the word heard was used in the Bible?
00:36:05
Speaker
in Genesis 3, 8. You see, before sin entered into humanity, before sin entered into humanity and into this world, Adam and Eve enjoyed a very close walk with God.
00:36:19
Speaker
They enjoyed a close fellowship with the Father. And it says like every morning, early in the morning, in the cool of the day, the Father would come and they would just walk together right there through Eden.
00:36:33
Speaker
But once sin interrupted their fellowship with God, you know what it caused them to do? They withdrew from the Father. They thought, I need to go and hide from him.
00:36:45
Speaker
But as you can see in Genesis 3, verse 9, it says, but what did the Lord do? The Lord kept talking, didn't he? The Lord kept calling.
00:36:56
Speaker
But the Lord called to the man and said to him, where are you? Where are you? And I think that's the way it's still going on. You know how I can prove it to you?
00:37:09
Speaker
The last chapter of the last book in the Bible, even in my Bible, it might not be in yours, but in my Bible, it's the last page. What's the last thing God is doing?
00:37:21
Speaker
Do you know he's still speaking? He's still calling. He's still speaking. He's extending a gracious invitation to anyone who's listening. And you know what his one word is
00:37:34
Speaker
come Come. You see, he's offering us the water of life to any who are spiritually thirsty enough to listen. And all it takes, two things, listening and longing.
00:37:49
Speaker
Do you long to hear what your creator says about you and thinks about you? Do you long to know what the Lord has placed you on this earth to do and to be?
00:38:01
Speaker
He says, the one who's thirsty, come on. The one who desires can take the water of life. But he says something kind of odd and unexpected, doesn't he? Because most places we go, we have to pay.
00:38:14
Speaker
But he says, let the one who desires take the water of life without price. Now, why is that? I'll tell you why that is. Because Jesus paid our sin debt with his perfect life.
00:38:29
Speaker
He doesn't like it. that we are not connected to him. And so the father said, son, you're the only one that can go down there and live a perfect life. And so what it's going to cost is you're going to have to give your life as a substitutionary death to atone for all of them.
00:38:48
Speaker
And those who turn in repentance and faith, they will be able to enter into your family. Even Isaiah in the Old Testament extends a similar invitation to the thirsty.
00:39:01
Speaker
You know what he says? Come, come. And he said, you know what? You can come and you don't even have to have money. You can come. But you know what? It also says in Isaiah 55, 1, 2, and It says the importance of listening. You won't believe it. It's right there.
00:39:19
Speaker
It's right there. It says, listen diligently to me in verse two, incline your ear. And come to me. Hear that your soul may live. And I will make make with you an everlasting covenant. My steadfast.
00:39:36
Speaker
Sure love. You see. God just wants to know if we're listening. You see we got in trouble because we weren't listening. And so now he says I'm giving you another chance. My son laid down his life.
00:39:47
Speaker
And all I'm saying is. Come. Come back. Come back to me. And I'll provide the way for your sins to be forgiven. Let's all stand together. I want to extend an invitation in case there's someone here and you would say, you know what, that that message was for
Closing Prayer and Invitation
00:40:03
Speaker
me. I needed that.
00:40:05
Speaker
So what you have to do is you have to say, Lord, I'm sorry for my sins. You know, whenever scripture shines down, remember, confronts us with our sin. But then all we have to do is say, Lord, I confess that I've been wrong.
00:40:18
Speaker
I confess that you're right. I confess that I need Jesus in that perfect sacrifice that he gave for me on the cross. And so would you be willing today to say, Lord, I'm willing to turn around. I'm willing to turn. I've been going that way. I'm going to turn and go this way. 180 and come come to you.
00:40:37
Speaker
Let's pray and ask if anyone is here that way, I'll be standing down front to receive you if that's what's in your heart. Lord, thank you so much for speaking to us through your word.
00:40:48
Speaker
The problem is not you speaking. Your word is always speaking. You're speaking through your word all the time. It's living and acting. But the question is, are we listening?
00:41:00
Speaker
I pray that we are better equipped to listen because we've been in this passage of your word. So speak now as we have this time of invitation and draw those who need to put their faith and trust in Christ. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
00:41:19
Speaker
This is a ministry of First Baptist Church located at 1700 Milam Street, Columbus, Texas.