February 28, 2019 ● 19-16
Matt. 7:24-27: Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.
In the Gospel of Matthew, chapters five through seven are known as the Sermon on the Mount. I would submit to you these three chapters are one of the greatest sermons ever preached. The Gospel of Luke also records this sermon in chapter six. Jesus preached/taught a large crowd of people who had gathered on a hillside about what it meant to be a true follower of Him. When Jesus finished the sermon, He used three different word pictures as a way to describe the true follower from the false follower: the two gates and two roads, the two trees and two kinds of fruit, and the two builders and two foundations.
The question for us that comes from this great sermon is this: what will we do, what do we do with the Word of God? Do we hear/read the Word of God with the purpose of listening for application and spiritual growth, or do we listen and think the teaching is for someone else?
Everybody approaches the word of God differently. I want to offer some suggestions that may help you listen to God’s word more intentionally:
1. RESPECT it. How do I view God’s word? Do I believe it as the holy, inspired, infallible, inerrant word of God?
HEB. 4:12: For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword , and piercing so far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
2. REASON with it. Why did God give us His Word to begin with?
2 TIM. 3:17: so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
3. RESOLVE to obey it. What should my attitude be when getting ready to hear/read God’s Word? Do I pray and ask for God to help me hear/understand His word?
1 SAM. 3:10: Then the Lord came and stood and called out as other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”
4. RECORD it. Be prepared to write down at least one nugget of truth you hear in the message. The point is not to write down everything you hear or read, but rather listen to the message and to what God is speaking into your heart.
ROM. 15:4: For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5. REVIEW it. Use the notes you take as reminders of what God has said and what God has impressed on your heart.
ACTS 28:30-31: And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.
What we do with God’s Word begins with hearing His Word.
What we do with God’s Word is based on a decision about His Word.
What we do with God’s Word helps prepare us for the storms of life.
What we do with God’s Word affects our lives.
I want to encourage you to allow God’s Word to equip you to be more focused on being intentional in
listening to God’s Word for application. Here some additional Scriptures that will help you in being
more intentional to listen with an obedient heart:
Ps. 1:1-3; 119:1-8 / John 14:15, 24; 15:7, 10, 14