IS THERE A LOST ART IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE HOME?
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
There is a country music song:
THE GREATEST MAN I NEVER KNEW: MY DAD?
Introduction:
PRECONCEIVED OPINIONS CAN HINDER WHAT WE HEAR?
Years ago I heard a unique story about LISTENING:
Many years ago a General was visiting and inspecting the Army Base
under him.
The General was drilling and questioning all the soldiers.
The men treated him with great respect.
At one point during the inspection the General asked to SPEAK PRIVATELY
WITH THE BUGLER... The General asked to see the young man’s BUGLE.
The young soilder pulled out a beautiful brass military issued instrument.
The General asked the BUGLER several questions about his trumpet
and his ability to play.
Then the General commanded the young man to secrecy. The young man agreed.
The General asked the BUGLER:
DO YOU KNOW HOW TO PLAY THE FIRE CALL?
Of course said the young man.
The General told the BUGLER, AT 4 AM SUNDAY MORNING I WANT YOU
TO MEET ME IN THE CENTER OF THE CAMP AND HAVE YOUR BUGLE WITH
YOU! REMEMBER, TELL NO ONE ABOUT THIS.
The Post Commander was anxious to hear what the General had said to his
bugler? So when the General left, the Commander inquired what had been
said. The young soldier refused to answer...
After much pressure the BUGLER told the Commander...
THE GENERAL ASKED COULD I PLAY THE FIRE CALL. THEN HE ORDERED
ME TO BE AT THE CENTER OF CAMP AT 4 AM SUNDAY MORNING.
So the Commander ordered all his men to come to the Fire Hall Saturday.
They folded every hose just perfect. They waxed the fire trucks and cleaned the garage from top to bottom.
Now the commander ordered his men at 4 AM in the morning be ready and
when the FIRE CALL SOUNDS RUSH TO THE FIRE HALL.
At 4 AM Sunday morning the BUGLER WAS STANDING AT HIS POST OF DUTY
IN THE CENTER OF CAMP. HIS TRUMPET WAS ALL SHINED AND WAXED...
THE BUGLER HAD PRACTICED SEVERAL DAYS ON THE FIRE CALL...
The General gave the order to the young soldier:
BLOW THE CALL TO CHURCH... CALL THE ASSEMBLE TO WORSHIP...
The young man: SIR, YOU ASKED ME ABOUT THE FIRE CALL?
DID YOU FORGET?
THE GENERAL ORDERED THE SOLDIER: CALL THE ASSEMBLE TO WORSHIP,
RIGHT NOW!
The young man placed the trumpet to his lips and LOUDLY BLEW THE CALL TO
ASSEMBLE TO WORSHIP --- AFTER ALL IT WAS SUNDAY...
The General and the Bugler stood in the middle of the base. The BUGLER blew very loudly the CALL TO WORSHIP...
The commander and all his soilders were dressed and ready.
When the trumpet sounded they all ran right past the General and the Bugler to the fire station... in the silence of the morning the fire doors flew open.
The sirens were screaming, the bells were clanking.
The Base Commander and his soilders were standing on the shiny fire trucks roaring out of the fire hall ...
BUT SEEMS NO ONE KNEW WHERE THEY WERE GOING?
HOW MANY PASTORS ARE RUNNING SOMEPLACE TO A FIRE?
HOW MANY PARENTS HAVE THE SIRENS SCREAMING?
HOW MANY TEENAGERS HAVE THEIR OWN PRE-CONCEIVED IDEAS THAT
THEIR PARENTS SHOULD BOW?
Listen:
To make an effort to hear... To take notice... Pay attention
Process or power of taking in sound... ear shot...
A session where testimony is heard...
Hear:
Perceive with the ear... listen... to judge...
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD A PERSON OUT?
I had a CB radio and was traveling in Virginia. A fellow CB’er said:
BASS PICKER, GOT YOUR EARS ON?
My young son reached up from behind me and rubbed my ears.
Then my son said: YES, DAD YOU HAVE YOUR EARS ON...???
I. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT WE FIND SOME REAL HIDDEN TRUTHS.
TO SERVE THE LORD AND THE CHURCH THE PRIEST WOULD CONSECRATE HIMSELF
BY HAVING BLOOD APPLIED TO HIS RIGHT EAR, THE RIGHT THUMB, AND THE
RIGHT BIG TOE...
A. The right ear was a symbol of hearing God and keeping the CORRECT ATTITUDES.
B. The right thumb was symbolic of WHAT THE INDIVIDUAL DOES... HIS DEEDS...
C. The right big toe was symbolic of WHERE THE INDIVIDUAL GOES...
Exodus 29:20 Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon
the altar round about.
II. THERE WAS SEVERAL PARTS OF THE CLEANSING CEREMONY
THE RIGHT EAR OF ANY ONE WITH LEPROUSY WAS ANOINTED WITH BLOOD AND
WITH OIL.
A. A dirty person, physically or spiritually DIRTY person could not approach a Holy God.
B. God made provisions for a man to correct and repent.
Leviticus 14:14 And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:
C. The offering had to come from CLEAN HANDS...
Leviticus 14:17 And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering:
III. THERE WERE TIMES WHEN A SLAVE COULD BE SET FREE.
IF FOR THE REASON OF LOVE AND FAMILY, THE SLAVE COULD DECIDE TO
VOLUNTEER TO SERVE HIS MASTER FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE...
THE SLAVE WOULD PIERCE HIS RIGHT EAR TO THE MASTER’S DOOR POST.
A. Often times in Jewish history a SLAVE HAD EARNED HIS FREEDOM.
This freedom was great, but where LOVE RULED a home, the slave could make the CHOICE TO STAY WITH HIS MASTER...
Exodus 21:6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.
B. THE LOVE SLAVE HAD TO SYMBOLICALLY SUBMIT HIS EAR,
I WILL LISTEN TO THE MASTER ... TO THE DOOR POST OF THE MASTER’S HOUSE.
Deut. 15:17 Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.
IV. OCCASSIONALLY IN THE BIBLE THE WORD SAYS: THEY SPOKE TO SOMEONE’S
EARS...
A. To speak to someone’s ears means the person is talking seriously and the other individual needs to be LISTENING CLOSELY.
Genesis 44:18 Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.
B. Just because one has A LOUDER VOICE AND A CONSTANT NAG does not mean
they will be heard and understood.
V. TO LISTEN HIGHLY SUGGEST THAT THERE IS ACTION TO TAKE...
TO LISTEN IS MORE THAN HEARING WITH YOUR EARS, ONE THAT LISTENS
MUST SUBMIT IN OBEDIENCE AND BE MORE THAN AN IDLE HEARER...
A. There are those that can become APATHETIC, INDIFFERENT OR CARELESS HEARERS...
James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
B. HEAR? HEARTLESS --- DO NOTHING CHRISTIANS CAN NOT REALLY BE LISTENING?...
James 2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
C. WE EVEN ASK THE LORD TO HEAR...
2 Kings 19:16 Lord, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, Lord, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God.
VI. CAN LISTENING BE A LESSON IN PAYING ATTENTION...
BRING THE SPIRIT PERSON INTO FOCUS AND ALIGNMENT WITH THE WORD OF GOD...
A. God is moving all around us, many of us refuse to listen and see WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE...
LISTENING BRINGS UNITY AND ACCORD TO THE CAMP...
Acts 8:6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
B. There was a little man sitting on the church’s door steps...
He was not allowed to go in the temple being crippled...
He was sitting at church HOPING TO RECEIVE SOMETHING...
WHAT CAN THIS CRIPPLE MAN GIVE ...
C. HE GAVE HEED...
A MIRACLE IS ABOUT TO BEAR FRUIT BECAUSE ONE MAN IS FOCUSED AND
LISTENING...
Acts 3:5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
VII. EVER HEAR OF UNCIRCUMCISED EARS? FAT CATS?
THERE CAN GROW WAX OVER THE EAR DRUM, A SLOW GRADUAL BUILD UP
OF FOREIGN MATERIAL THAT CAN CAUSE ANXIETY, WORRY, DULL HEARING,
A LACK OF CLEAR FOCUS, INATTENTIVENESS, AND IDLENESS IN GOD’S PLAN?
A. WHAT HINDERS GOD’S PLANS AND HIS PURPOSES?
Acts 7:51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
B. FAT CATS WITH HEAVY EARS LACK UNDERSTANDING AND THUS DO NOT
RECEIVE THE TOTAL AVAILABLE GIFTS...
Isaiah 6:10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
VIII. ARE WE LOOKING FOR THE CIRCUS? FREAK SHOWS?
ARE WE DEMANDING THUNDER, LIGHTNING AND EARTHQUAKES?
A. Elijah had a very showy ministry, but there was a point Elijah needed to hear from
a HOLY GOD...
There was a WIND,
1 Kings 19:12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
B. DAVID WAS GOING INTO A SERIOUS BATTLE?
Should he go? Should he stay home? How will God direct David...
A huge wind? A big fire?
A little wind blowing in the TOP OF MULBERRY TREES!
C. The mulberry means weeping, a mulberry tree had long leaf stalks and
would blow in the wind...
2 Samuel 5:23 And when David enquired of the Lord, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.
[24] And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the Lord go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines.
D. Don’t miss God looking for the CIRCUS?
IX. IF WE HEAR GOD WE MUST BURY ALL OUR PRECONCEIVED OPINIONS
THAT SEEM TO WANT TO IMPRESS OTHER PEOPLE...
THE REAL ISSUE IS FOCUS... YOU CAN NOT LISTEN TO OTHERS WHILE YOU
ARE TALKING... GOD’S CREATION ILLUSTRATES A SPIRITUAL POINT...
GOD GAVE YOU HOW MANY EARS? HOW MANY MOUTHS?
Proverbs 15:31 The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.
A. PERHAPS WE SHOULD LISTEN TWICE AS MUCH AS WE SPEAK...
B. Do you ever HEAR ANYONE OUT?
X. ONLY PEOPLE WITH UNDERSTANDING AND ARE TEACHABLE
KNOW THAT OUR ENEMY HATES A CLOSED MOUTH AND OPENED EARS...
A. Are you teachable?
B. Will you LEARN TO LISTEN...
C. No, you don’t know it all!
Proverbs 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
CONCLUSION:
WE OWE A DEBT TO GOD AND THE PEOPLE THAT WE LOVE TO LISTEN...
MAY WE RESURRECT THE LOST ART OF LISTENING?
People will pay someone $85 an hour to listen to them?
Turn the TV off? Turn the radio off? Listen!
There is a country music song: THE GREATEST MAN I NEVER KNEW: MY DAD?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Help me? Pass this on to another?
