Listen To The Lord

Jn. 1:29-34 Theme: Listen to the Lord.

Text: Is. 49:3, 5-6; 1 Cor. 1:1-9; Jn. 1:29-34

Introduction: We live in an age that is widely acclaimed the information age because of the tremendous technological developments that have taken place in the communication field. It is common knowledge that all over the world many people, including children, either have their own cell phones and computers or have access to them. The Internet can be browsed at home or in an Internet café and has made the most extensive library in the world accessible to all. Everything we always wanted to know can now be researched from the comfort of the home, workplace or educational institution. The use of the electronic mail has made communication with others almost instantaneous no matter the distance between them and disseminating information is no longer a problem. However all the advances in information technology can in no way be compared to God’s method of communication that always ensures we receive His word at precisely the right time, in the right place, and in the right way. God uses all of Creation to communicate with us, He even used a donkey when it was necessary, and whatever He says is the truth and without error. We need to listen to the Lord and keep His words in the midst of our heart “For they are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh”.

Step One: How God speak to us today

a) Through the reading of His Word

God is constantly speaking to us and being God He uses any way He desires. God often speaks to us as we read the Bible and this is the reason it is called “The Word of God”. After reading the Bible in Church we are often reminded of its importance with the words: “This is the Word of God”. They are words spoken by the Creator to His creation.

b) Through the preaching of His Word

God also speaks to us during the delivery of the sermon as it is based on His Word. This is one of the reasons why we should pay special attention to what is being preached and allow God to speak to us. Another reason is that the preacher spends a lot of time in preparation, finding out what God wants him to say, meditating on His Word and spending time in His presence as what he says affects the eternal destiny of his hearers. God uses every opportunity to speak to us so that He can bless us and meet our needs. He wants us to have the right idea of who He really is.

c) During worship and prayer

God can use any time to speak to us. He speaks to us during our trials and difficulties and He speaks to us during our times of joy and rejoicing. God speaks to us during times of praise, worship and prayer and since we began our worship today He has not stopped speaking to us. God has spoken to one person through a song and to another person through a prayer. During worship times we are supposed to be focused on God and during such times we often become more receptive to His voice. But there is one thing we can be certain of and this is that God will never contradict His Word.

Illustration: We can never say that we love God and not love His Word. The measure of our love for God can be measured by the measure of our love for His Word. We cannot love God more than we love His Word. Yet many people claim they love God but reject the Bible’s claim to be the Word of God. They reject the Bible’s claim to complete authority by citing the fact that it was written by men. Although this is true, the Bible did not originate with men but with God. God controlled, directed and communicated with the spirits and minds of the men who wrote the Bible. This same principle is evident in the scientific world today. Man is capable of launching satellites into space and communicating with them millions of miles away, directing their course and giving them instructions, which they obey. A few days ago a probe landed on Saturn’s largest moon, titan and began transmitting pictures of the moon surface. It took the probe seventeen years to reach its destination and this was only possible because men from earth controlled it. If man can achieve such results, how can we deny the possibility that God can create human beings with mental and spiritual faculties that He can communicate with and control? God does communicate with us but the truth is that we are often hard of hearing and do not hear Him. There is a story of a man who had been married for 30 years. He began to get frustrated because he could not have any meaningful conversation with his wife. When talking to her she would often not answer him. He suspected a hearing problem but she would not admit it, so he decided to do a test. One day when she did not know he was in the room, he stood behind her chair across the room and gently said, “Can you hear me?” She did not respond, so he moved a little closer and asked again. She again did not respond, so he moved even closer. He asked the same question the fourth time when he was right behind her. She turned in her chair to face him; a little annoyed and said, “For the fourth time, Yes, I can hear you!”