SHEMA: "Listen"

In the Gospels, Jesus speaks of those who have “ears to hear” at the end of a difficult saying or parable (e.g., Matthew 11:15; Mark 4:9, 23). Who is “he who has ears to hear”? Better yet, who is “he who has ears”? Ears are a feature shared by all of humanity—to not have ears would be an unnatural occurrence. Therefore, when Jesus addresses those who have ears, He refers to all who have been given His words—no matter their age, ethnicity, language, or status.

But there is a difference between having ears and having “ears to hear.” Jesus’ parable of the sower and the seed contrasts types of hearers: those who let the Word of God pass straight through their ears and those who truly listen and seek understanding (Mark 4:13–20). Some hear the Word, yet they do not allow it to take root because the seduction of worldly pleasures and comfort overcomes them. Others end up rejecting the Word because of persecution or trials. Others hear the Word and open themselves to understand and accept it so that it transforms them. Those who have “ears to hear” allow the Word to bear fruit to the glory of God. It is up to the hearer to decide whether to take the Word seriously and pursue understanding; only a few are willing—the rest have ears, but they do not have “ears to hear” (Matthew 7:13–14, 24–27).

Whenever Jesus says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear,” He is calling for people to pay careful heed. It’s another way of saying, “Listen up! Pay close attention!” Speaking in parables was one way in which Jesus sought to gain the attention of the crowds —people love stories, and the parables depicted events and characters with which they could readily relate. But unless they were willing to tune out other distractions and come to Jesus to understand the meaning of His preaching, His words would be only empty stories. They needed more than ears, however keen they were; they needed ears to hear.

When asked by His disciples why He was speaking to the crowds in parables, Jesus refers to Isaiah 6, which speaks of people who have eyes and ears, yet who have hardened their hearts and chosen to ignore the Word of the Lord (Matthew 13:10–15; cf. Isaiah 6:8–10). Part of the judgment on those who refuse to believe is that they will eventually lose their opportunity to believe: “Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them” (Matthew 13:12; cf. Romans 1:18–32).

A similar phrase is found in Revelation in each of the seven letters to the churches: “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). And in Revelation 13:9, immediately following a description of the Antichrist, we read, “Whoever has ears, let them hear.” The readers of Revelation are called upon to pay close attention and seek God’s wisdom concerning what’s written.

Who is “he who has ears”? The simple answer: all people who have been or are being given the words of God. Like the parables’ original audience, we must also “Listen up! Pay close attention!” Jesus’ simple request is that we use our God-given faculties (eyes to see, ears to hear) to tune in to His words (John 10:27 –28; Mark 4:24; Revelation 3:20). “For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open” (Mark 4:22). Seeking God’s truth takes energy and focus; it takes a willingness to be challenged and changed. While the way of God’s truth is not the most convenient or fun path to take, we can be assured that it is the best one (John 1:4; 10:9; 14:6). And so He bids us, “Come” (Matthew 11:28 –30).

Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen (Shema, shema) to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen (shema), that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. (Isaiah 55:1–3)

(taken from www.gotquestions.org)

DNOW: Lesson 3b

God has always been approachable by His people through prayer. Many verses in the Psalms let us see some of the beautiful examples of God's people reaching out to Him in prayer.

Jewish prayers had several elements (see slides 4-8):

1) Love and Praise

2) Gratitude and Thanksgiving

3) Recognition of God's Holiness and affirmation of one's desire to obey and please God

4) Confession of sin and a longing for a pure heart.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8) Purity is the result of continued spiritual harmony with God. We have to grow in purity. It begins when we first accept God's call to follow Him. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Are you a new creation? If so, are you growing in your walk with Christ? Do you desire to obey God and please God? Are you actively confessing your sin and longing to grow in purity?

The author of Hebrews was addressing a concern for those among them who were not growing in Christ. He wrote: "...you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil." (Hebrews 5:11-14)

If we don't grow in our relationship with Christ, we will not develop "powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."; we will be "...unskilled in the word of righteousness..." In other words, we will not be equipped to deal successfully with the issues of life. Instead, we will "agree with the counsel of the ungodly; become carnal--unable to be distinguished from the lost; and eventually, sit with scoffers of our Lord and have nothing to say against their behavior." (see Psalm 1)

We learn about Jesus by reading, studying, meditating, and memorizing His Word. We develop a relationship with Jesus by talking (praying) with Him constantly throughout the day. Prayer is learned. Jesus' closest disciples--those who walked with Him daily--even asked, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." (Luke 11:1b) The disciples watched Jesus and knew that prayer was the foundation of His life.

Scripture offers us captivating glimpses into the prayer life of Jesus. There are at least 25 recorded instances of Jesus praying. We can see that He prayed for others, with others, alone, regularly, and in accordance with the Truth. His prayers were heartfelt. His prayers were both short and long. In addition to these recorded prayers, He often taught on the importance of prayer. Jesus is our best example of how important it is to have a fervent and effectual prayer life.

As we grow to know Jesus better, we should begin to love the things He loves and hate the things that He hates. We should become more like Him everyday. If so, we will no longer be easily swept away by the secular culture, but instead anchored to the One and Only absolute--Jesus!

Next week I'll plan to complete our brief look at prayer by studying Jesus' answer to His disciples when they asked, "Lord, teach us to pray..." Also, I will show you five elements found in powerful prayers.

DNOW: Lesson 3a

I believe God shaped every human being for excellence! We are His master piece. We are His prize creation. "He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession." (James 1:18, NLT)

We are also told that "...the prayer of the upright is His delight." (Proverbs 15:8, KJV) God wants us to talk to Him--it is His delight! He wants us to pray.

Sadly, fewer Americans than ever have faith in the divine, according to a new analysis of a decade-long survey. In fact, the percentage of Americans who believe in God or prayed reached an all-time low two years ago.

In our lesson today we put the spotlight on the darkness that has engulfed those tagged as "millennials" (born 1981 - 1996). The religion-related fall-off among these Americans ages 18-29 was especially stark. The research stated, "further evidence that millennials are the least religious generation in memory and possible in American history." Millennials are chipping away at America's faith base with their comparatively low level of religious belief and affiliation (Pew Research Center).

These are your peers. These are the people you grew up with; went to school with; work with; possibly go to church with. These are the people who will teach your children in school. These are the people who will send their children to the same schools where you will send your children.  

Unless you decide otherwise, these will be the people who make you and your children doubt your beliefs and desire to walk with God, read your Bible, and pray. You must decide. Just as Joshua took a bold stance, so must you--unless you be swept away in the culture. 

"And if it is evil in your eye to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15, ESV)

Our focus should not be on causes, social issues, or ideologies. Our focus should be on Jesus Christ and His purpose and will for our lives--that He might be glorified. We must learn to love the things He loves and hate the things He hates. We must hear, read, study, memorize, and meditate on His Word for this is how we learn what He loves and hates. We must call upon the Holy Spirit to teach us the Truth so that we might grow in wisdom. And we must learn to pray!

Next week we will complete our lesson on prayer as we look at the prayer life of Jesus and how He answered the disciples when they asked, "Lord, teach us to pray..." (Luke 11:1, ESV)

Double-Diaper Dinner: 3/14/17

The double-diaper dinner for Jamie Crook and Deanna Sowell was a BIG SUCCESS!!

 

 

 

Continue to pray for these two ladies, their husbands, their families, and especially for the children that are about to be born. God has wonderfully and mysteriously shaped each child for a specific purpose.

 "After all, God is the one who gave life to each of us before we were born." (Job 31:15, CEV)

God is the giver of life. Life is not the result of chance. It is not an accident or fluke. Life comes about because God gives. He grants life to each baby before birth. These babies have been filled with His life. You can rest in His peace!

"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: he alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. he will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection." (Psalm 91:1-4 NLT)

DNOW: Lesson 2

 The Holy Spirit is very, very important to Christian life--not like anything else. He is sent to "...teach you all things..." (John 14:26)

If we are going to become a mature disciple of Jesus Christ we need to cultivate the skill of being lead by the Holy Spirit on a daily basis. "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God." (Romans 8:14)

Once He departed, Jesus promised that He would send the Holy Spirit (Comforter). He said, "It is expedient (advantageous) for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." (John 16:7) Think about what Jesus was saying. He was saying that it would be better for us to have the Spirit than it would be to have Jesus. Why? Because the Spirit lives within every believer, whereas Jesus is only one person and could only be at one place at the time.

At the moment a person becomes a Christian, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in that believer's life. "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14)

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for spirit is ruach, which means breath, wind, or God's Spirit. The "breath of God" is responsible for creating and sustaining all life--humans, animals, and plants. Without God's ruach, there would be no life.

God's ruach is also responsible for influencing and empowering people of the Old Testament such as Joseph when he interpreted Pharaoh's dreams; such as Bezalel when he used his skills "...to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts." (Exodus 31:1-5) Bezalel was the chief artisan of the Tabernacle and was in charge of building the Ark of the Covenant.

In the New Testament, the Greek word for Spirit is Pneuma. Paul mentions the Spirit (Pneuma) 149 times in his 13 letters. The Holy Spirit is responsible for many key events in the New Testament: Jesus' birth (Luke 1:35); Jesus' baptism (Mark 1:9-11); Jesus' resurrection (Romans 1:3-4); the appointment of the disciples (John 20:21-22), and many more.

There is a war constantly raging within every believer between the flesh and the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-17; Romans 8:6-8). We must choose to partner with the Spirit and stay in step with His leading. "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25)

When we sense the Spirit leading, we must say "Yes!" It might be a gentle nudge to talk with someone, to pray for someone, to avoid someone, to turn the TV or radio off, to disconnect from social media for a period, or to simply be quiet and listen for God. "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalms 46:10)

When we sense the Spirit guiding us to do, or not do, something, we must obey. If we don't, we "quench" the work that God wants to do in our life that is designed to bring us closer to Him. "Do not quench the Spirit." (1 Thessalonians 5:19)

The Bible is the source of all Truth. The Holy Spirit was given to us to teach us and grow us in wisdom; to fulfill God's purpose and will for our lives; and to ultimately bring glory to Himself.

The next key discipline that must be a part of the disciple's life is PRAYER. We will review that topic next week.

DNOW: Lesson 1

Today we began our new series I'm calling D-NOW. Why not? It only seems appropriate that we use the same annual theme as our youth group: "Discipleship Now".  This will be a 5-6 week study of the importance of discipleship and where to begin. We either need to be discipled, or we need to be discipling others--or both.

Disciple: A disciple is a person who is becoming more and more like Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our chief end goal is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. How do we glorify God? Jesus our Lord said in John 15:8, "My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples." God's ultimate plan for your life is to bring glory to His name as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

As a new believer in Christ, the first thing I wanted to do was read the Bible. I wanted to know all about Jesus. I wanted to read the Bible stories that were vaguely familiar to me from my childhood. Reading the Bible seemed to connect me with an alternative view of life that was so refreshing. More than ever before the Bible became a living book. So this is where I though we should start this series; take a look at the shape of the Bible and how it is composed.

As a new believer begins his/her journey to become more and more like Jesus, the three pillars of our walk are the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and prayer. During the next two weeks, I will teach a similar review, as I did today on the Bible, on the Holy Spirit and on prayer. Then we will cover a three-week summary of discipleship.

Below is an excellent animated summary of the Bible produced by the Bible Project.