How to Listen when God Speaks
Written by Ed Allen
Sunday, 18 January 2009 09:00
Please note, due to a technical glitch, we lost the last few minutes of the sermon.
Elder Recognition Service
We recognized our new elders in this morning's service: Tom Bellino, Eric Knox, and Rob Showers.
Sermon Notes
Mark 4:1-20: The Parable of the Sower
God can speak to us in many different ways. But preimminently He speaks to us through His Word, the Bible. It is imperative that you and I hear and respond to God's Word.
The Stakes
- When God's Word is accepted and acted on, we lead fruitful lives.
- When God's Word is not accepted and acted on, we become fruitless.
- When God's Word is not accepted and acted on, we lose our connection to Him.
The Dangers
1. The Word can be plucked by Satan and taken away.
John Piper suggests three ways God's Word can be plucked from us.
- Inattention: we're simply not listening.
- Ill will: we may have something against the person speaking.
- Ignorance: 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
Some times we may hear from God:
- When a brother or sister in Christ confronts us
- On Sunday mornings
- This is a pregnant moment that you and I have to prepare for. Sunday mornings before the service and even Saturday night. Come expecting to hear from God.
2. The Word is received superficially.
- When a heart is unprepared for the demands of the Gospel.
- When a heart is solely motivated by immediate rescue.
- When a heart is inoculated to the Gospel.
- This can be especially a danger for children raised in homes by devoted Christians. They children may think they get it, but stray when confronted by a world of ungodly influences.
3. The Word is challenged by prosperity.
- John Wesley "The danger of Christian revival is that it promotes the conditions of its undoing."
Strategies that enable us to hear and act on God's Word
- Keep yourself read for God's Word
- Prepare the soil of your heart
- Prepare for your time of reading God's Word.
- Prepare for hearing God's Word on Sunday mornings.
- Prepare for your Life Group.
- Prepare for important conversations.
- Identify and attack any areas of your heart or life where you are resistant.
Small Group Questions
Opening Question: How would you describe a typical Sunday morning leading up to the worship time?
- What is your immediate response to this statement, “God speaks to us”? Briefly describe your understanding and experience.
- What are the kinds of soils Jesus speaks of in Mark 4:1-20? What are the characteristics of each kind of soil? What is the result of sowing in each case?
- Jesus uses a farming analogy which would have been very familiar to his listeners. Why do you think he uses this tool rather than being straight forward in his teaching? What difference do you think it made to his listeners? What do you think they walked away with after he told the story (vv. 1-8)? How do you think they responded to his exhortation, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear”?
- Jesus explains to those who asked that there is a warning inherent in the parables He uses to teach. What is the difference between “seeing” and “perceiving”? Between “hearing” and “understanding”? How would the latter two result in the action of “turning” that the first two may not? Explain the point of this warning in your own words.
- “The stakes couldn’t be higher.” How have you seen the stakes played out in different seasons of your life whether God’s Word has been regularly accepted and acted or not?
- Which of the dangers—inattention, ill will, ignorance, superficiality or prosperity—most interferes with your engaging God’s Word?
- Describe the activity of the farmer over each of the soils. How would you evaluate his efficiency or success? What does this tell you about the farmer? How would you compare this farmer from what you would do? What do you think motivates this farmer to sow this way?
- What was Jesus doing while He was teaching from this parable? What do you think God is doing through this study? What has been your response even through this study?
- How has your view or understanding of Jesus been expanded or deepened through this study? How does that affect your expectations that He might speak to you? How does that change your posture toward Him? Whether publicly or silently, what do you need to say to Him at this time?
- What is one habit that you want to begin so that you can be more ready to hear from Him and respond?