The Word of His Power Part VI - Listen

When God speaks, a created, living thing is initiated and set in motion; it sustains everything to which it pertains; He reveals what He has declared to those who will hear it; and there will come a "suddenly" moment when He will act upon what He has spoken.  However, just because God reveals His word to us, does not mean that everyone will listen.

As the Lord said through the prophet Isaiah, "Incline your ear and come to Me.  Listen, that you may live." (Is. 55:3)  This indicates that we have a choice: to listen or not to listen.  Listening to the Word of the Lord is the next step in the process for anyone who chooses life.  In the context of this verse, Isaiah indicates that choosing NOT to listen is akin to spending our resources on things that simply cannot sustain us, fulfill us nor satisfy us.

"He who has ears to hear, let him hear."  An interesting phrase used 15 times or so in the scriptures, it implies that even though God’s word is revealed, hearing it is not automatic.  There are those who will hear and those who will not hear.  "When I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you will say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God.' He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house."(Ezekiel 3:27)

Rebellion is at the root of refusing to listen to God’s word.  We cannot merely chalk it up to our busy schedules, inopportune timing, lack of interest, inconvenience, or other flimsy excuses such as:

"There are too many hypocrites carrying Bibles around."

"The Scriptures are an outdated book, and are irrelevant for modern man."

"It's too hard to understand."

"It interferes with my life."

"I’ll leave it to the professionals."

God calls refusal to listen to His word, rebellion.  He designed and created all life, and He is the One who determined that "Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD."  Simply put, if we will not listen we will not live.

And we must never assume that attending church is the same thing as listening to God's word.  We must not presuppose that hearing a sermon qualifies as hearing the Word of the Lord.  Many people would say that their parents raised them in the church, that they have been going to church ever since, and that they have been listening to God's word all their lives.  But as has often been observed, sitting in a garage does not make you a car; and sitting in church does not make you a hearer of the Word.

Jesus told many religious people, who had heard Him teach on multiple occasions, that they had "neither heard (God's) voice at any time nor seen His form."  In fact, He said that "I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand."  Hence the phrase "in one ear and out the other."  One time Jesus came right to the point and said: "Why do you not understand what I am saying?  It is because you cannot hear My word."

Pastor Scott   

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all." (2 Cor 13:14)