Sermon Notes By Pastor Arthur H. Coleman Sr. for Sunday June 29, 2014
Text :Isaiah 55:3 “Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.”
1 Thessalonians 2:13 “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”
PREMISE
The Pulpit Commentary,Vol.21, Page34 A Comment On 1 Thess.2:13---The Thessalonian Reception Of The Truth. “The apostle had spoken of his own part in the work of grace; he now speaks of the manner in which his converts accepted. “Ye are my witnesses; now I am yours.” His immediate ground of thankfulness was that they had received , not man’s word, but God’s, and that the Word was so thoroughly efficacious. “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us, ye received not the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God.”
To Hear God’s Voice And Word I Must Learn How To Hear With A Spiritual Ear
2. They Manifested The Power Of Truth In their Lives. “Which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” (a) This effectual operation is conditioned upon their faith. “The Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Heb.4:2). The gospel is only to the believer ”the power of God to salvation” (Rom 1 :16). (b) Its power was manifest in quickening, enlightening, sanctifying, and comforting under all afflictions and persecutions.”
DEFINITIONS
Hear---“to listen to, give ear to; hearken to. (2) to perceive by the ear.”
Receptivity---“the ability or readiness to receive.”
EXPOSITION
1. Not Hearing God Leads To Spiritual Destitution---Amos 8:11-12 “Behold the days will come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: (vs12) And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.”
2.Not Hearing God’s Voice Causes Us To Not Know Him Which Will Cause Us To Follow Strangers---St. John 10:1-5 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. (vs2) But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.(vs3) To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. (vs4) And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. (vs5) And a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.”
3.Not Hearing God’s Word’s Leads To Spiritual Deafness---Jeremiah 6:10 “To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? Behold their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.” Zechariah 7:11-13 “But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. (vs12) Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts. (vs13) Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts;” 2 Timothy 4:3-4 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (vs4) And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
4. Not Hearing God’s Word With All Your Heart Leads To Careless Hearing Which Leads To: (a) Sentimentality(a tendency to be influenced by sentiment(a mixture of thought and feeling) rather than reason.---Ezekiel 33:31-33 “And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after covetousness. (vs32) And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. (vs33) And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.” (b)Disobedience---St. Matthew 7:26-27 “And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: (vs27) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”
(c) Shallowness---St. Matthew 13:19-22 “When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. (vs20) But he that receiveth the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; (vs21) Yet hath not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution raiseth because of the word, and by and by he is offended.(vs22) He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”
5.To Hear God’s Word And Know His Voice I Must Have: (a) A Good and Receptive Heart---St. Matthew 13:23 “But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it flows the issues of life.” (b) Readiness Of Mind---(concerning The Bible Students Of Berea) Acts17:11 “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
6.To Hear God’s Voice And Word I Must Learn How To Hear With A Spiritual Ear--- Revelation 3:22 “ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Proverbs 8:34-35 “Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. (vs35) For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.” Proverbs 15:31-32 “The ear that heareth the reproof (words of blame or disapproval)of life abideth among the wise. (vs32) He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.”
7.To Hear The Lord’s Voice And Words Is To Know That He Calls Me To Rest and Fellowship With Him---St. Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (vs29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (vs30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Revelation 3:19-20 (To The Lukewarm, Self Satisfied Church at Laodicea) “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (vs20) Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”