Sunday January 10, 2021
(Luke 10:39) “Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught.”
(Proverbs 3:6) “Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.”
THE LISTENING HEART
(Isaiah 55:2-3) “Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. “Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life.”
WHY IS A LISTENING HEART SO IMPORTANT
(Jeremiah 7:24) “But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward.”
If I don’t listen to the Father, I’m going to do what I want!
So what can keep you and me from having a listening heart?
- A Polluted Heart
Jeanie and I love D.J.’s Boudain. Share story of working at D.J’s Boudain putting up the duct work.
WATER ILLUSTRATION
(James 1:21) “So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.”
II. A Distracted Heart
According to Business Insider the average person touches their cell phone 2617 times a day. In a 31 day month that’s 81,127 times a month. In a year that’s over 955,000.00. Almost one million times.
On an average we spend at least 2 hours a day on social media. They say that over the span of life a middle aged person will spend 7 years on social media.
The younger generation will spend 10 years of their life on social media.
DISTRACTIONS ARE DRAINING US!
(Luke 10:40) But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
(Philippians 3:13-14) “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
What keeps us from having a listening heart that listens. A polluted, distracted heart.
(2 Corinthians 7:1) “With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let’s make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let’s make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God.”
III. The Doubting Heart
(Hebrews 11:6) “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”
SO WHAT IS A LISTENING HEART?
IV. The Obeying Heart
(Matthew 7:24) “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.”
(James 1:22-25) “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”
It’s in listening and obeying you see who God created you to be.
It was though listening and obeying that Jesus Christ became the resurrected Savior of the World. Is He your Savior? What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message.