Listening

Use bookmarked lesson for ideas

This is just a random quote, but a teacher in a class I had this week said that we remember about 45% of what we hear, such as in a class or other teaching situation. We have to hear things over and over before we learn them. Why do you think the bible repeats the same things in many different ways?

One of the biggest improvements in my life I'd like to make is to have a longer attention span. To be able to focus my whole attention on a single thing for an extended period of time...that'd be great! It takes work to concentrate. You have to put everything into it. If not, you can sing a whole song without thinking about a single word. You can hear a lesson and not remember a word. And more dangerously, you can partake of the Lord's supper without thinking about what it means.

He who has ears let him hear: The Deaf

“He who has ears, let him hear.” Jesus said this many times. He had to tell the people to listen up! People were the same then as they are now. Some of them don't listen at all. People can be distracted. It's interesting that he says it after giving the parable of the seeds, which was about the very subject of listening. Jesus talks about the four different types who hear the word.

Mat 13 includes a series of parables that Jesus uses to teach the people. The first one in that chapter is the parable of the sower in which a man sowed some seed. Some of it was thrown on a path and eaten by birds, which represented the evil one snatching what word was given to someone who doesn't understand it. If we aren't careful to learn the word and mature in it, we will lose even the basics we do know when we fall away.

Some of the seed fell on the rocks where there wasn't enough soil, which represented the Christian who joyfully hears the word at first but walks away when the hard times come.

The fair weather friend. You might be happy to become a Christian at first when times are good and everyone is rooting for you. But you don't put down roots in Christ. What happens when even your family and friends discourage you and mock you for being a Chrstian? We have to have the word living and active in our hearts to put down roots in Christ. We need shade and help from our brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage us. This means that on the other hand we must also help those who are starting new lives in Christ. We have to encourage them...not just let them be consumed by the thorns.

Some seed fell amongst the thorns, which represented those who hear the word but aren't fruitful because of worries in life and the deceit of wealth. This probably happens to many of us in our Christian lives. I'd like to study the bible today, but I just need to do this one thing first. I'd like to pray more but I'm just so busy. I've just bought this new thing and need to try it out.

Finally, he mentions the seed that falls on good soil, which represents those who hear the word and understand it and put it into practice in their lives yielding fruit for God. They hear the word. They understand the word. They plant it in their hearts and allow God to do great things through them.

Luke 8 puts it like this:

¹⁵But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Mat 13

¹⁰The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"
¹¹He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ¹²Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. ¹³This is why I speak to them in parables:
   "Though seeing, they do not see;
       though hearing, they do not hear or understand. ¹⁴In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
   " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
       you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
    ¹⁵For this people's heart has become calloused;
       they hardly hear with their ears,
       and they have closed their eyes.
   Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
       hear with their ears,
       understand with their hearts
   and turn, and I would heal them.' ¹⁶But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

In this passage, Jesus tells why he talks to the people in these somewhat cryptic parables.

He quotes prophecies about those who hear but never understand. He was talking about the Jews at the time, but we can be like this today. Perhaps always reading the bible but never taking the time to understand it. Always hearing lessons but never trying to understand them. Singing songs but not listening to the words. Closing our ears and hiding our eyes. But if we do come to Christ, if we do open our ears and eyes, and turn to Christ, he can heal us of our sins. Jesus also talks about prophets that would have loved to have seen him as the disciples were seeing him, but never had the chance. We today are more privilege in this way even than the prophets! To be able to hear and read about the coming of Christ and his fulfillment of everything that was written in the old testament.

Jesus and the apostles encountered people who were so opposed to his message that Jesus had to warn his apostles about such.

Mat 7

⁶"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.

This was also a warning to them not to waste a lot of time on those who absolutely wouldn't listen. The time of the apostles was extremely valuable and they had a lot of work to do. In fact, they eventually had such problems getting the Jews to listen that it pushed them to talk to the Gentiles who were more receptive.

Today there are those who have a chance to listen. A Christian tries to talk to them about Jesus but they become angry and turn them away. In doing so, they turn away an opportunity for a better existence.

Disciples told to reject houses that wouldn't listen to gospel....all

Mat 10

¹⁴If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. ¹⁵I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

And so it ended up that the apostles did turn to the Gentiles after they were ignored by many of the Jews. This happens with Paul in Acts 13

Jews wouldn't listen so Paul went to gentiles who did listen

Acts 13

⁴⁴On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. ⁴⁵When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying.
⁴⁶Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
   " 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
       that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.' "
⁴⁸When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
⁴⁹The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.

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Talking to others about Christ

People usually believe because someone talks to them about Christ...Many of the Israelites didn't listen so the message went to the gentiles.

Rom 10

¹⁴How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

¹⁶But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" ¹⁷Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. ¹⁸But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:
   "Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
       their words to the ends of the world." ¹⁹Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,
   "I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;
       I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding." ²⁰And Isaiah boldly says,
   "I was found by those who did not seek me;
       I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me."^{[11] 21}But concerning Israel he says,
   "All day long I have held out my hands
       to a disobedient and obstinate people."

Sure, we can learn about Christ through reading, but most come to believe in Christ because someone tells them about him in the first place. Someone takes the time and trouble to tell us about Christ and we listened and understood and obeyed.

What is some practical advice on listening? Be an active listener if your attention tends to drift. In my personal experience, it really helps to get involved in what you're listening to. Take notes. Read along. Think of questions. Remember them to look them up or ask someone at some point. Keep in mind whose words are listening to from the bible. I've also found that it helps to look at the speaker. Looking elsewhere, you can become more easily distracted.

Like the Bereans:

Acts 17

¹⁰As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. ¹¹Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. ¹²Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

The Bereans had this excitement inside of them that made them want to learn about the word. We have to want to listen to be able to listen in the first place. We shouldn't just listen because someone else wants us to. We need to cultivate a real desire in our own hearts to know more.

Also, the Colossians, who heard the word of truth, the gospel....all over the world it was bearing fruit and growing.

Colossians 1

³We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- ⁵the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel ⁶that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. ⁷You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, ⁸and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
⁹For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

Paul prayed that the Colossians would continue to hear what God had to say and grow in knowledge and spiritual wisdom and to bear fruit for God. This should be our prayer for the church today as well.

We are warned to continue to listen to the wisdom of the bible not only after we are converted, but also as we mature in Christ.

Heb 2

¹We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. ²For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, ³how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.

After you become a Christian, it's important to learn to listen. If you don't listen, you can't grow as a Chrstian. In fact, the less you listen, the more you'll drift away from God. The passage we just read warns about ignoring the salvation that's offered to us after we've already learned about it.

2 Peter 2

²⁰   For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
²¹   For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
²²   But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Hebrews 4

¹Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. ²For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.

...
¹²For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-­edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. ¹³Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

But we must also do what the word says. It is useless if we listen to the word but don't do what it says.

Luke 6

⁴⁶"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? ⁴⁷I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. ⁴⁸He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. ⁴⁹But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

When you hear the words of God and put them into practice, you reinforce what you have learned. You reinforce yourself as a Christian. You reinforce the church as they see a good example. When you hear the words of God and then forget them,

Men of Ninevah repented after hearing one lesson from Jonah

Jonah 3

³ Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city-a visit required three days. ⁴ On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." ⁵ The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. ⁶ When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.

Don't you wish you could have people listen to you like this? What if you sat next to someone at work and they were always cussing, telling nasty jokes, talking about the bad things they did last weekend. You tell them, “if you don't straighten up, there will be eternal consequences!” They just break down in tears and say, “You're right! You're right!” It was kinda funny that Jonah resisted talking to the people of Ninevah to the point that God had a fish swallow him up, but when Jonah finally gave in and warned them, they immediately listened and repented. Jonah's resistance was much worse than the actually talking he did. This is a lesson we can learn. Our fear of our duty to Christ may sometimes be much worse than the duty itself. Sometimes we'll finally get around to doing something we've been scared of and ya know, it isn't that bad.

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ITCHING EARS

Some we read about in the bible had itching ears, wanting to hear what pleased them. Paul warned Timothy about this.

2 Tim 4

¹In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: ²Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. ³For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. ⁵But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

It's a dangerous state of mind when we start resisting when God's word is critical of things we are doing wrong. We must be open to the bible. We can't have in mind what we want it to say or even what the world says and come at it that way. We'll definitely be offended by God's strong words if we have a worldly point of view. The Jews in the apostles' time wanted to hear, “Yes, you must be circumcised. Yes, you must be descended from Abraham to be saved. Yes, the messiah is a great and rich king who will topple all the other kingdoms and bring Israel to the top.” But the apostles had quite a different message for them. Jesus was a humble man and he wasn't rich. No, you don't have to be descended from Abraham or be circumcised to be saved. Do we have anything that we think when we hear the word that causes us to ignore what it really says? We have to be careful not to come to the word with things in mind we want to hear rather than what it really says.

There were those who listened to Ezekiel the prophet for the wrong reasons. They just thought of Ezekiel like one who sings love songs or plays an instrument well

Ezekiel 33

³¹ My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. ³² Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.
³³ "When all this comes true-and it surely will-then they will know that a prophet has been among them."

This might be a problem with us. Perhaps we don't listen as well for some reason because a speaker isn't funny or entertaining in the way we expect. This is wrong. We should listen to be edified, not just to be entertained.

“He who has ears, let him hear.” We've talked here about the hearing the word. We saw how the Israelites often ignored the word as it was brought to them and so the word was taken to everyone else. We talked about hearing the word initially before we believe and become Christians. We read about the importance of focusing our minds to really try and listen during lessons on the bible, during songs that we sing and to pay attention in all we do for God. We looked at the danger of seeing the word of God as something that is just supposed to entertain us or just tell us things we want to hear. If you have heard enough of the word that you are interested in becoming a follower of Christ or would like the prayers of the church for any other reason, please come forward.