OUR NEXT BIG TRIP WILL BE TO MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK!

 

 Remember that this costs $12.00 per person for admission. Please think about food, bring $5.00 per family and we will collectively purchase lunch meat and bread for our trip.  Breakfast will be biscuits, pancakes, and the like provided by Mrs. Tina and Kari- muah ah. Have this brought to the church by Wednesday, September 23rd.  We will have a great time!

Home School Chapel

Listen and Hear

 

Intro:  The word hear is used 550x in the Bible, if I were a truly educated man then I would have to say that it is more important to listen and hear than to be speaking.  The reason I bring this message up is because of the importance of hearing.  It is said that hearing separates the leaders from the others, how so you might say, well if leaders listen properly then situations can have results, problems can be avoided and people can be challenged, comforted and led! 

If I were to take a poll, I think most people would say that others just don’t listen, and if they are then they aren’t hearing what is said, there is a difference you know.  When the preacher preaches almost 90% of what is said is not listened to or heard, how do I know well look at the deplorable situations that most people are in nowadays.  They are lost and going to hell, they are confused as to salvation, eternal security, they get themselves into situations that the preacher probably already preached on previously.  Think about the passage we just heard, if Hananai had brought this message to me would I have listened and heard, or would I have been distracted and interrupted?  Hananai had an important message, Nehemiah listened to what was said:

              a.  Jerusalem is also broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire

                        i.  They were in reproach

                        ii.  They were afflicted

                        iii.  People were making fun of them (Gods Children!)

                        iv.  There was no military for protection

This was a long sad story, but again instead of interrupting with a great plan of action, Nehemiah listened, he heard the anguish, he felt the burden.  So today I want to give you some points of leadership and character that deserves a lot of attention – Listening and Hearing.

 

1.     Prayer

It’s amazing how the Bible speaks so much of God listening and hearing us:

Psalm 34:4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

                  Pslam 34:6  This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of
            all his troubles.

                  Psalm 77:1   I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and
            he gave ear unto me.

                  When our backs are against the wall, when we have reached that moment of
            despondency and we have nowhere to turn and when we finally call upon God,
            we always expect Him to hear us.  Rightfully so because the Bible clearly
            indicates that God desires us to call upon Him and depend upon Him Jer 33:3
            Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things,
            which thou knowest not.  Now comes the important part of prayer, after all that
            speaking we should listen, and hear. Listen with our heart to what God is saying,
            and the direction He is leading us.  Listen so we might glorify Him when we
            come out of our prayer closets. 
 What a thought it would be if we had it in our mind that God just wasn’t listening, how sad would we walk away from that time alone with Him in our time of need.  The same thing goes outside of prayer in our dealings with others, if we spend time in prayer listening, then we ought to be developing that skill to use on others.  Nehemiah prayed for 4 months before he made a decision, I am sure that in the past Nehemiah was a man of prayer, that is why he was able to listen when Hanani came to him, the Bible says that God “heareth the cry of the afflicted” (Job34:28), when you spend time with people you tend to mimic some of their traits, Nehemiah was just mimicking the character trait of listening.

 

2.     Example

     As Jesus Christ is our great example then we ought to learn by Him.  Jesus listened intently when it came to the woman at the well.  He didn’t just blurt out about her current situation in life, he didn’t run her down the road of being a harlot, instead He listened for every opportunity in conversation to show her what she needed most – eternal life through Him.  We also can be an example for others to follow, by being a good listener, and hearing what is said, by this we can show others compassion, friendship, and concern.  We can learn to talk when it’s time to talk, and listen when its time to listen so that we might be the wiser for it:

Pro 1:5  A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

Pro 8:33  Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.

By our example of listening, then others will learn to hear and they will be wiser also.

 

3.     Practice

     We learn to listen by practice, we all have to practice listening.  Sometimes in my day to day conversations I find myself asking myself, “am I really listening and hearing what is said?”

Science has proven that we can speak about 100 words a minute, we can hear about 400.  The warning comes in when we see the next stat, we can think about 10x faster than we hear! That means we can think about 4,000 words a minute.  The sad part about all this is in the following scenario:

If I am talking to someone and I am just hearing what is going on then there are over 4,000 things cluttering my mind, I’m not listening.  I have to constantly practice listening by clearing my mind and focusing on the situation at hand – it takes practice.

 

4.     Character

     We show that we have developed our listening skills by having character.  Think about this as its already been stated this morning numerous times- when “listening” our mouths are shut, and our ears, and hearts are open.  Don’t listen to some of the conversation then just jump in trying to save the day with a reaction.  Don’t react, just listen.  Listening shows character by telling the other person that “My opinion is not the important thing at the moment” just let them know that you are there for them.  Now if it is a situation that requires response then responds accordingly, but defiantly listen first to what is being said.

When in those great debates show character by showing respect to let them finish, then follow up with I’ve heard you now it’s my turn.  Nehemiah listened to the whole story before he ever spoke.

 

5.     Repetition

     The fifth way we can learn to listen is by repletion, that is repeating what we have heard back to the person.  It shows the person that you were taking in what you heard and it is being digested, it also allows for corrections in the conversation just in case you mis-heard what was trying to be said.  The old preacher once said God designed each of us uniquely, however he gave all of us the same ability to listen, that is he gave all of us 2 ears and one mouth, so open them up, and close the other you’ll be better off for it. 

 

So we see listening means to pay attention, to close our mouths and hear God and others.  It is also the act of applying Gods Word into our lives! We also will hear what Godly people are saying to sharpen us and know when there is error.  It is the person who listens who exhibits good character and godliness.

 

We also see that Wander, Disregard, Disrespect, and Contempt are the opposites of godliness and good character.  When we are reluctant to listen and hear, then we are refusing to learn and grow.  When we do not listen we transition into distrust from others and God and begin to grow in pride and rebellion.

 

Great leaders like to listen, Do U?

EXPLORERS CLUB NEWS

Again for those who would like to get a copy of what's preached this year I will post my sermons.  I really enjoyed our beginning to Explorers this year as we had over 28 in attendance and still a few missing.  I ask that you would consider praying daily for our leaders and preachers.  Here is the notes now to what was preached.

 

The Word Spoken

Bro. Paul Pschirer

Intro:  The Word of God, the blessed old book, the Bible spoken and revealed unto man to show us our total depravity.  Without out the Word of God presereved from generation to generation and handed down where would we be?    Some people today look at the Bible and say so what it’s just a book, others say it may contain some good advice, but to those that are lost it’s the path of light unto their darkened souls.  It’s the way to redemption through Jesus Christ the only begotten of the Father!  To the Christian it is much more! Let us look tonight the importance of His Word for a lost and dying world, and as a provision for a pursuit of Christ likeness! Two main things need to be understood tonight

1.       The Bible is the only book that is Gods Word to us, and it is better than all other books combined.

2.       There are many evidences that might lead us to believe the Bible is Gods Word, but it is only by the Holy Spirits direct work in us that we can be assured without a doubt that the Bible is Gods Word.

·          When God desired to create a universe He spoke it into existence through His Word, it was by the POWER of His spoken Word

·          Gen 1:1-31 - and God said…..8x in these verses alone

·          Heb 11:3  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

1.       God Word Reveals It’s Purpose: 

A. To Work In Our Lives

·          Every single saved soul is begotten of the Father through His Word

·          Jas 1:18  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

·          1Pe 1:23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

B.      To Weed through Our Lives

·          When we take God at His Word and desire it more than the things of this world then it lowers the plough and begins to dig deep thereby

·          It Cleanses the conscience- Joh 15:3  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

·           It corrects the wrong - 2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

·          It consecrates the life - Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

C.       To Warn In Our Lives

·          When we have been convicted, converted, and consecrated Gods Word works to warn us of the things to come.

·          2Ti 2:19  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

·          2Ti 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.   But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.  But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;   And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

·          God also gives us a warning from His Word about the way we treat His Word Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

 

How then are we as Christians to respond to this?
1Pe 1:22  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:    Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

  1Co 2:12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

  1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

 

1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

 

2.       Satan's Battle Against the Word

When Satan knew that martyrdom and persecution wouldn’t stop the spread of Christianity he tried another tactic, the  watering down of the Word of God. Using Carnal Men that developed New Translations, New Programs, New Gimmicks that deceive the very elect into believing falsely.

·          Satan has tried to CORRUPT the Word
Hath God not said….Satan got one over on Eve because she didn’t heed the Word.

·          Satan has tried to CUT the Word
In modern translations there are numerous omitted verses….NIV, NLT, RSV, all these have either removed verses about the blood of Christ, or watered down words to change the Deity of Christ!

·          Satan has tried to CONCEAL the Word
in times past and even today there are denominations that allow so called priests and bishops to hide the truth from the congregation by supplying them with their version instead of the true Word of God, the KJB! We saw in the "Dark Ages" that it wasn't dark because of the ignorant masses, but because the true Word of God was kept concealed from them by priests and bishops that said their words were on the same level as if God himself was speaking, so therefore they didn't need a Bible, they "just needed to depend on the priests"  How foolish as the Bible clearly states there is 1 mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.  No need to confess to a knot head thru a knothole...we have access to the Throne of Grace ourselves by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. There is also no private interpretation of the Scriptures!  It is His Word, revealed to His people, that they might know HIM!

 

·          God promised that if by faith we accept His Word then we have a guarantee that….Isa 40:8  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

·          God through His Word encourages us to hide His Word in our heart that we might not sin against God.  Psalm 119:11

·          Paul the Apostle encourages preachers to...Preach the Word, that way Satan can’t try to get his words over on somebody.
We should stand and preach as loudly we can so that we will choke out the words of this world.

 

3.      Because God Spoke His Word It will Bring About:

 

·          No Fear - But Praise

                  Psa 56:4  In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will
                  not fear what flesh can do unto me.

·          Healing and Deliverance
Psa 107:19  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:20  He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

·          Cleansing
Psa 119:9  BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

·          Strength
Psa 119:28  My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.

·          Mercy
Psa 119:58  I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word.

·          Salvation
Psa 119:41  VAU. Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word.

·          Faith
Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,