YOU CAN’T FAKE LISTENING! DO WE HEAR WITHOUT LISTENING?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
WILL YOU LISTEN TO ME? The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.
TWO EARS AND ONE TONGUE MAY BE THE GREATEST LESSON NEVER LEARNED…
PAY ATTENTION: LISTEN: PETER AND JOHN ARE GOING TO CHURCH TO PRAY ONE MORNING… THERE WAS A CRIPPLED MAN THAT DAILY LAID AT THE GATE BEAUTIFUL.
He was not allowed to go in the temple he was lame, helpless and hopeless. THIS DAY IS GOING TO BE MUCH DIFFERENT… WHAT STARTS A MIRACLE? The eye contact, the focus was to LOOK UP… Today would be different: The man was EXPECTING…. Expecting? EXPECTING TO RECEIVE SOMETHING!
Acts 3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. 5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
Peter and John looked at him intently. Peter said, “Look at us!” The man had to LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND. There is more than BEGGING. The lame man LISTENED TO THE PREACHER… the lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting.
He looked up, expecting to get something from them.
THE CRIPPLE MAN GAVE WHAT HE HAD… HE GAVE PETER AND JOHN HAS ATTENTION… THERE IS A MIRACLE ON THE WAY… WHY? BECAUSE THE LAME MAN FOCUSED HIS ATTENTION AND LISTENED INTENTLY TO THE PREACHERS.
PAY ATTENTION! LISTEN MY FRIEND! He will never be the same again because he listened. Perhaps we have made prayer all talking and no listening?
ONE OF THE GREATEST ACTS OF LOVE MAY NOT BE A KISS? (Ask Judas) HEARING AND LISTENING IS ONE OF THE GREATEST ACTS OF REAL LOVE KNOWN IN THIS WORLD. The first duty of real love is to listen!
Proverbs 19:20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.
God gives us one mouth that we can close and two ears that we can’t close. If we listen and keep our words right we will keep troubles small.
WHEN WE LISTEN TO OTHERS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT THERE WILL BE A CHANGE… WE LIVE IN PERILOUS TIMES FULL OF DANGER AND HIGH RISK,,,… DO WE REALLY TRUST GOD?
We must learn to LISTEN and PAY ATTENTION… Acknowledge we are desperate for the touch of God. Will we throw down our busyness? Will we listen and trust putting our hands in the hands of our mighty God? Listen closely, our future in these hard times lies solely in our LISTENING AND TRUSTING GOD’S PLAN. LISTEN CAN OBSTACLES and ADVERSITY BRING US TO TRUST IN GOD?
Psalm 31:14 But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. 15 My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
THERE IS AS MUCH DIFFERENCE IN HEARING AND LISTENING AS HOT VS COLD? DAY VS NIGHT? PASSIVE VS ACTION? TO THRIVE IN LIFE REQUIRES HEARING AND LISTENING…
James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
James 1:19 (MSG) Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear.
James 1:19 (NLT2) Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
DO WE HEAR OR DO WE HEAR AND LISTEN? THE THREE SMALLEST BONES OF THE BODY: MALLEUS, INCUS, STAPLES… OR HAMMER, ANVIL STIRRUP … THE COCHLEA IS FILLED WITH FLUID AND NERVE ENDINGS.
Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Will we listen to these foundational words, words to listen and build our families and personal life? If you listen to God’s words we will be a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. THE SECRET IS LISTENING.
*HEARING is NOISE AND SOUNDS COMING TO YOUR EARS, the physiological act of hearing sounds… the power of sound.
* LISTENING: TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE SOUND…to give thoughtful consideration… The goal of listening is to understand. A listening ear leads us to an understanding heart. Listening is a loud form of kindness.
Luke 11:28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
WHY DO WE HEAR? LISTEN? WHY DON’T WE HEAR? LISTEN?
Did you hear what I just said? NO, I WAS NOT LISTENING?
CAN YOU HEAR WHAT IS NOT SAID?
Hearing is to hear without necessarily desiring to hear…
Listening is an intentional act. Many people learn how to hear but few ever learn to listen? Can you hear or listen to things not said? To listen is to practice wisdom and understanding.
ELI WAS THE OLD PREACHER… ELI’S TWO SONS, HOPHNI AND PHINEHAS HAD NOT LISTENED TO ELI OR TO GOD… ERE LAMP OF GOD IS ABOUT READY TO GO OUT --- THEY WOULD NOT LISTEN… ELI, HOPHNI AND PHINEHAS COULD HEAR GOD’S WORDS, THEY WOULD NOT LISTEN…
1 Samuel 2:12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.
1 Samuel 3:3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
HANNAH PRAYED…LISTEN --- GOD’S PLAN --- IF THE PREACHER WILL NOT LISTEN A LITTLE BOY WILL HEAR AND LISTEN…
1 Samuel 3:4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. 5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. 9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE LISTEN… GOD APPEARS…
1 Samuel 3:21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
CONCLUSION: The Lord will appear when we hear His call. On the 3rd call Samuel said, SPEAK FOR YOUR SERVANT HEARS AND LISTENS.
You show great respect when you listen to others. Often we think but we never mediate or ponder?
Often we criticize and seldom do we encourage and edify? How often do you praise other people? Often we hear but we tend to never listen? Do you think it could be a true statement if we said we can learn more by listening than we can by talking? Seems we can learn more by listening?
NO ONE IS AS DEAF AS THE PERSON THAT TALKS ALL THE TIME AND SELDOM LISTENS. The quieter you grow, the more you can learn. WILL ROGERS is given the credit of saying: NEVER MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHUT UP… Have you ever heard: Listen 3 times. Then think 2 times and speak once.
Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Be still, listen… stop the fighting and arguing --- RELAX, REST, LISTEN ---NO FEAR, NO WORRY… COMPLETE TRUST!
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Do you hear? Do you listen? Evaluate why we do not listen?
