Sermon Central
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The Burning Bush: Attentive Hearts
Contributed by Vance Elzinga on Sep 11, 2002 (message contributor)
Summary: A sermon based on the Burning Bush story which looks at what it means to have hearts that are attentive to God.
20000326a - Exodus 3.1,f. The Burning Bush Attentive Hearts
Story of a native American in NYC hearing cricket; crowd hearing coins drop.
The point is not just listening; it’s WHAT! / TRUTH!
Turn Aside [3.1-3]
Moses’ first step was a detour. It was a decision to pay at-tention. (We get so busy..)
His response to the sight is, "Wait a minute, what’s THIS?"
“When the Lord saw.. he called..”
Illust trying to talk with kids: “I didn’t hear you ..”
Do you look at the Word even long enough to see that there is a bush on fire?
We need to be overtly looking for what God has to say about the world we live in!
When the Lord sees that we are serious about hearing HIS voice, He will speak. Note condition!
When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the LORD. - Jeremiah 29:13-14 (NRSV)
Listen Up [.4]
.4b I’m listening - as Samuel: "Speak, Lord, for your ser-vant HEARS!"
I’m listening! What do you want to say to me?
Apart from just turning aside to hear God in the din, we need to SOAK in His Word!
We need to listen actively and HARD!
The best way to fight "truth decay" is preventative treat-ment; taking in what is good.
You learn the counterfeit by knowing the real thing well.
Vacuum of biblical input is killing us!
Listening is not passive -- it is not even a "spectator sport!" If you are really listening, you will be exhausted from it after a very short time.
Do you hear Scripture without hearing???
The Lord says to Moses, "hearing, I hear." (.7 seeing “in-deed”) Explain that idiom.
They believed God saw all but ..
Psalm 1: “Blessed is..” WHO? Blessing we receive if..
Strip Down [.5-6]
Humility/submission see Numbers 12.3
Humble = teachable. (Ps. 139.23-24) HS
Illust of people who want to edit Scripture. It is alive for those who hear it as it is.
You cannot edit it without killing it. If you want to break some of the rules and you think you will have something living left, you are wrong! True for all, all the time.
Jesus project ..
You don’t just expect to take some of the teachings of Je-sus and leave others!
You must be ready to submit to what you hear! Like it or not.
Realize you are on holy ground and better take off your sandals.
Go, Now! [.7-10]
House built on rock/sand (Matthew 7.24-29) Dunes/TP.
Difference between just hearing and doing something about it.
Illust of directions you read but don’t follow - and you get it wrong.
A person building on a sand dune is not an idiot. They KNOW better! They understand the risks! They just think that errosion won’t come in the forseeable future! They’ll enjoy their house on the sand and be okay. Just like knowing the truth and understanding judgement, but being in denial about it really happening to me.
How specific would you like this?! … Do you suppose God has changed?
Closing
Not going to be shaped by this culture .. Not some kind of "jello" Jesus, molding ..
Prophecy of false teachers speaking to "itching ears" ... It’s all around us.
Here is the gospel:
What did the Lord want to do? Deliver.
What does the Lord still want to do, in us, through us? De-liver. He wants to give us good gifts.
Noisy world, with a lot of "smart" but wrong ideas.
You turn aside! Listen hard! Get down! Go!
