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Back to Sermons Index Back to Home Page 23rd October 2005 AMCONSIDER CAREFULLY HOW YOU LISTEN Pastor Linton Smith When
you travel by air do you watch the flight attendant and listen to the safety
instructions? When we travelled recently we were assigned a seat next to the
emergency exit.. and when the safety instructions were given we listened just
that little bit better.. and knew that if there was an emergency.. we had to
listen.. and do just as we were told to open the emergency exit. In
Luke 8:18 Jesus
said to His disciples, “Consider
carefully how you listen.” Just
before He said this Jesus told
a parable about the different ways people listen to God’s word. Then He said a
few words about lighting a lamp and said, ‘Therefore consider carefully how
you listen.’ Immediately after that He was told that His mother and
brothers were looking for Him and He said, ‘My mother and brothers are
those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.’ The common theme here is
listening.. and the importance of listening well. As I reflected on this, studied commentaries, and prayed.. I came to the conclusion that Jesus
is telling us.. if we consider carefully how we listen to Him.. it will make
three very significant differences to our lives.. lead to three significant
outcomes. When
we consider carefully how we listen to Him..
WE WILL BE PART OF WHAT HE IS DOING IN THE WORLD TODAY.Jesus
told the parable of the sower. A
man went out to sow.. some seed fell on the pathways.. snapped up by birds..
other fell on rock.. sprouted quickly in the warm, shallow soil.. and died.
Other fell among thorns.. grew.. but was choked by the thorns. Other fell on
good, clean soil.. and grew. The
disciples were puzzled.
What does this mean? Before
He explained the parable to them He said.. “The
knowledge of the secrets of the Now they must have
been even more puzzled.. and asking.. why
is He being so secretive? Why not tell everyone? Why does He not make the truth
about Himself and what He is doing.. widely and openly known? I think Jesus sensed that question.. and answered it when He said.. Luke
8:16-18..
No one lights a lamp
and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so
that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will
not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out
into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be
given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from
him. No
one lights a lamp to hide its light.
And I have not come to hide who I am or what I am doing. The day will come when
there will be no more secrets.. when all will know. That
came about to some degree when Jesus was crucified and rose again. The
truth was out. Jesus was the Messiah. His resurrection from the dead proved
that! Here
Jesus is saying to His disciples.. be ready for that day.. consider carefully
how you listen.. He
rose from the dead.. and met with the disciples..
Luke tells us.. Luke
24:45-48..
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told
them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead
on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his
name to all nations, beginning at Their eyes were fully opened.. and they became part of what He was doing in the word.. they spoke ever so plainly about Him.. crucified as the Hebrew scriptures said He would be.. raised as they said He would be.. The Messiah.. and called people to repent and believe.. and be forgiven.. Those who listened well.. took to heart what they heard.. and acted on it.. were given more and more.. and grew as His servants. Others lost even what they thought they had. [Judas lost everything!] His word to you and me today.. We can be part of what He is doing in the world today.. and will be if we listen carefully to Him. The
second thing I concluded that Jesus was saying is this.. if we consider
carefully how we listen to Him..
WE
WILL HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR ON JUDGMENT DAY. When
Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead much
was revealed.. but there is more. The day will come when He will return and then
absolutely everything will be revealed! Let’s
look again at what He said.. Luke 8:16-18..
No one lights a lamp
and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so
that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will
not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out
into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be
given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from
him. No
one lights a lamp to hide its light.
I have not come to hide who I am or what I am doing. When I come again.. every
eye will see Me.. everyone will know I am the Messiah. Everything will be
revealed.. and that will include the truth about every human being who has ever
lived. In
Luke 12:1-3 Jesus says..
Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not
be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and
what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from
the roofs. And
Paul says.. 1 Corinthians 4:5..
Wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness
and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. The return of Jesus will mean judgment. There will be nothing hidden! Our hidden motives will be exposed. The truth will out. Those who have listened well to Jesus.. will be given more.. others will lose even what they thought the had. And
so Jesus says.. Therefore,
consider carefully how you listen! If we listen well to Him.. we will have nothing to fear on that day. The third outcome of listening well to Jesus is this..
WE
WILL BE PART OF HIS FAMILY. Luke
continues.. Luke 8:19-21..
Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to
get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers
are standing outside, wanting to see you.” He replied, “My mother and
brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” A week or two ago we took two of our grandchildren to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Charlie is very poor. He.. his parents.. and four grandparents.. live in a very small house.. Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory is a mystery.. no one know what happens there.. but WW has placed a few golden invitations to his factory in the millions of WW chocolate bars.. Charlie badly wants one.. and gets the last one.. and visits the factory along with the other winners. One by one the other winners reveal what selfish and greedy people they are.. and WW decides he will hand over his factory to Charlie. He can come and live there.. and manage it. Charlie asks if he can bring his family. No. Definitely not. Charlie turns down the offer.. because his family means so much to him. The film conveys emphatically.. the importance of family. Most of us would agree. It is impossible to put too high a value on family.. and so we are surprised by what Jesus says.. “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” He
is not downplaying the importance of family.. He
is telling us there is something even better.. we can belong to His family.. We
become members of His family.. when we
listen to God’s word and put it into practice. Paul
wrote to people who did this.. and said.. Galatians
6:10..
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially
to those who belong to the family of believers. Ephesians
2:19..
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens
with God’s people and members of God’s household. The most common
description of believers
in the New Testament is ‘brothers’ And that term encompasses male and
female. Today we would say, Brothers and sisters. This
is something to value! It is a privilege to belong!
We were formed for God’s Family.. so be part of it.. meet and worship together
on Sundays.. be part of a small group.. be a family.. care for one another.. Consider
carefully how you listen. Listen carefully to Jesus.. and we will be part of
what He is doing in the world today.. we will have nothing to fear on judgment
day.. and we will be part of His family. Let’s
conclude now by looking at the first two things Jesus tells us to do.. and then
look at a good example.. Mark
writes.. Mark 1:14,15.. After
John was put in prison, Jesus went into Repent and believe the good news. These
are the first two things to hear.. and to put into practice. Repent..
change your mind.. and be willing to change! That is how it was for me many
years ago.. Changed my mind about myself.. how I wanted to live.. wanted to live
God’s way.. desperately.. and willing.. Believe
the Good News.
Jesus has died in our place.. and has risen.. and forgives sin.. and changes
people.. takes them into His family. Believe that is true.. and then trust!
Commit yourself to Him.. surrender.. That is how it was for me.. and what a
change.. Do those two
things.. and we will be part of God’s family.. have nothing to fear on
judgment day.. and we will be ready to be part of what Jesus is doing in the
world today.. But what then..
what about the other myriad things Jesus says? Follow
the example of Mary. In
Luke 10:39
Luke tells us that she sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. Picture that..
sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus.. listening. Do
you do that? Do you get away by yourself.. sit with open Bible.. read.. words of
Jesus.. and other passages.. and listen.. listen to take to heart.. to put it
into practice.. Do
that.. and you will soon find yourself part of what Jesus is doing in the world
today. You will discover what He is doing and join Him. You will grow. And He
will entrust you with more and more. |