According to the Hartford Institute of Religion Research, only 20% of Americans attend church. In 2013 Pew Research noted that it was 37% and Gallup esteemed 39%. It has been noted that somewhere between 4,000 to 7,000 churches close their doors every year. I’m not here to preach about church attendance, which is one indicator of many that shows a culture’s coldness or even luke-warmness to the things of Christ. In Luke 8 Jesus shines light on why your neighbor, family member, or friends may care little for the things or Christ and His bride the church. Jesus describes the different types of hearers through the parable of the sower and the seed. I’m suggesting that many haven’t taken hold of what is heard! This applies to both those outside the church and those within! Our method may need to change while the message remains the same!
J
The Halted Hearer v.12
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
J
The Half-Heeding Hearer v.13 (distracted by fear or pride)
The Half-Hearted Hearer v.14 (distracted by the world)
The Take-Hold Hearer v.15
J
We believe Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. He who has ears to hear let him hear.” There is a spiritual ear, or a heart-ear. There is an ear that hears, in the preaching of the Word, more than mere words. There is a beauty and a truth and a power that these ears hear as compelling and transforming and preserving. That’s the kind of hearing Jesus is calling for.”
– John Piper
J
Instructions to Heed what is Heard vv.16-18
The gospel message is a lamp that drives away darkness and sin! The one who has (the believer) will be given more, the one who does not have (the unbeliever) will lose what he has.
J
How to Hear
1.Prepare– In every event that the word of God is proclaimed there are eternal stakes and weight! Salvation, God’s call, God’s glory is all shown and shined through His Word! Preparation begins in the heart and you say, “Wow this is important!” I’m going to prepare my heart to hear from God! I’m going to be well rested! I’m going to pray for the proclaimer or pastor all week! I’m going to be in the Word! If you’re not preparing for the proclamation of God’s Word, you’re not valuing the weight of His glory! Check yourself before you wreck yourself!
Even the sorriest of preachers, if they read God’s Word, will be supernatural power unleashed!
2.Pray– Pray earnestly that you’re thirsty for the things of Christ.
3.Position– Position yourself to hear & hold the word! Your priorities determine your position and your position determines your priorities! Don’t forsake gathering in worship, don’t forsake your quiet time, and don’t forsake accountability to hear from brothers & sisters in Christ! Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
J
4.Proclaim– If you’re listening to be fed only, my prayer is that one day soon you’ll be listening to feed others! Don’t listen only to soak in, listen to reproduce! Hebrews 5:12 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,”
You may be discouraged thinking you’ve got to do more!
The encouraging part of this is that maybe you need to do less! Maybe you simply need to fall in love with the one whose love freed you from the bondage of religion and gave you a relationship, to whose call we can’t help but listen!
John 10:27-30 “27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30
I and the Father are one.”
