Introduction:
If I were to ask you ladies if you husbands are good listeners, most of you would probably respond with a resounding: "no." If I were to ask you parents if your children are good listeners, I believe I would get a lot of "no's." If I turned it around and asked you teenagers if your parents listen to you, I am sure that I would get an "no." If I were to ask each Christian man or Christian woman if you were a good listener to the voice of the Lord, I believe the answer is "no" once again even though the Bible says in John 10:27 that my sheep hear my voice. In the days that we are living in, we must be good listeners if we are going to follow Jesus.
Do you know who the best listener is? It is the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Book of Exodus, the Lord tells us in Exodus 3:7 that the Lord heard the cries of the Israelites under the cruel hand of the Egyptian taskmasters. In Psalm 5:3, the psalmist confirms that the Lord hears my prayers. In Psalm 20, the Lord confirms that He hears my cries in times of trouble. Make no mistake about it: The Lord listens well to His people.
The problem when it comes to listening is not God hearing us, it is us hearing God. In the Book of Revelation in the Lord's messages to the seven churches John writes under inspiration of God these words, "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." And then in the Gospels Jesus used that same expression. Look at Mark 4:23 (NKJV) 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." Those were Jesus' own words and He recognized that many do not hear him.
So, I have to ask myself the question: "What is the problem that I don't hear God?" And that is what we are going to look at today. What hinders us from hearing the Lord? To do that I want to look at the encounter at the burning bush when God spoke to Moses, and he heard clearly what God had to say.
Scripture:
Exodus 3:1-5(NKJV) 1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn." 4 So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." 5 Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."
Point #1
Hearing God 's voice will require effort on my part. Moses took his sheep to a place where He knew that He could talk with God. Do I make the effort to go to a place where I can talk with God?
1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
Moses lives in the land of Midian on the backside of the desert tending the sheep of Jethro, his father-in-law. So, as we come to Exodus 3, Moses is going to take his sheep out to pasture. But he is not taking the sheep in the back pasture an acre or two from Jethro's house. Moses set out to take them about twenty-five miles (25) miles to the pastureland around Mt. Horeb. There were many mountain ranges near Midian, but Moses headed to a specific mountain range- Horeb. Horeb has two meanings: Mountain of YHWH and it is also called the Mount of God. You might have heard this Mountain also referred to a Mt. Sinai in some places. It would be the place later where God would give Moses the Ten Commandments.
The fact that Moses would take those sheep that far tells me how badly Moses wanted to hear from God. What kind of effort do you make to hear from God? Are you willing to get up early to seek the Lord since He gives us a promise in Scripture? Proverbs 8:17 (KJV) I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Isaiah went to the house of the Lord to hear from God, and there He meet the Lord High and lighted up. And it was there that Isaiah carried on a conversation with God. And Jesus would always go to a secluded place to listen to the Words of His Father. In all three cases, there was an effort- to get up early, to go to the church house, and to find a secluded place to talk to God.
What effort do you put in to listening to God? No effort then you are probably not hearing from God. And actually, there are times that God must put you in certain places to get you to listen to Him. I noticed that I am a pretty good listener to God when I am in a hospital bed. I also notice that I am a good listener when troubles are attacking me at all sides. But let me tell you what I have found out in my life. It is so much better for me when I make the effort to listen to God rather than waiting for God to arrange the meeting to listen to Him. Point# 2
Hearing God's voice will require a spiritual curiosity about what God is doing around me that a lot of Christians lack. Do I see God doing things around me and do I ask what are You trying to tell me?
Exodus 3:2-3 (NKJV) 2 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn."
Remember, Moses is working. He is managing a flock of sheep for his father-in-law. Women, do you know how hard it is to have a conversation with your husband when he is at work? Most of you are going to get a one- or two-word answer and then bye. Guys when they are working are single focused.
I am sure there would be a lot of guys who saw the burning bush and said to themselves that is weird and kept on walking by. And after they passed it by, they would give no more thought about it. Moses, on the other hand, had a spiritual curiosity, after all he did take his sheep to the Mount of God, so He may have been expecting something from God. So, Moses approached near the bush and ultimately had a conversation with God.
Today, with the pandemic now going on for over a year, a curious Christians should have begun a conversation with God as to why so many of my friends are dying. Deaths in Pike County, MS seem to be occurring at a rapid pace and it is not just old folks. I would want to know are You preparing us for the end times? God are you just giving us a glimpse of what is going to happen in the future? And that curiosity starts a conversation with God just as that burning bush started a conversation between God and Moses.
Look for things that God is doing in your life or in the world, be curious, because that just might be God's way of wanting to start a conversation with you.
Point # 3
Hearing God's voice will require an expectation that I am going to hear God's voice. If I go into prayer not expecting to hear from God, I am not going to hear from God. Moses took his sheep to Mt. Horeb expecting to hear from God.
4 So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."
I told you that Moses came to Mt. Horeb expecting to hear from God. Let me tell you why I believe that is the case. I have two reasons that I say that: (1) The way that God addressed Moses by calling out his name twice Moses, Moses. In the Jewish language when two words are repeated back-to-back it is for emphasis. It is like saying Moses I have been waiting for you. When I was a young boy if my mother hollowed "little Dave, little Dave" that meant that she has been waiting on me. God was telling Moses; I have been waiting on you.
(2) Look at Moses' response. He did not say "Yes, Lord" but rather "here I am". I finally made it here.
Make no mistake, Moses went to Mt. Horeb expecting to hear from God. And God waited for Moses to get there.
Conclusion
Verse 5 says "...for the place where you stand is holy ground." Wherever it is that you and God are communicating (that is talking to and listening to God) that is Holy Ground. It could be the church house, or your back porch, or wherever.
When is the last time you have been on Holy Ground? Today, Jesus invites you to Holy Ground. Will you come talk and listen to God as the invitation is offered and the altar is open.
Let us pray.
