Faith Baptist Church
09/27/26 Dwell Richly
  • Luke 8:18 ESV
    18 Take care then how you hear...
    Take care how you hear...how you listen.
    Source
    How do we take care how we hear?
    Heed the Call to Hear
    Treasure the Word

    Remember Who’s Speaking

    Illustration: Undercover Boss- they heard the words differently once they realized who they were talking with.
    So we should remember that when the Word is being preached God is the one who is ultimately speaking.
    Hebrews 1:1 ESV
    1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
    In Scripture God has spoken in many different ways.
    He spoke through prophets like Moses, Samuel, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. He spoke through angels.
    Hebrews 1:2 ESV
    2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
    God’s ultimate form of communication was when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
    Then the messaged of Jesus was given to the apostles. So we have the words of Jesus recorded for us in our New Testaments by men like Matthew, Peter, and Paul.
    Hebrews 2:3 ESV
    3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,
    Paul gave the Thessalonians a striking complement when he wrote this...
    1 Thessalonians 2:13 ESV
    13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
    Now in the church age, God speaks to us through His Word. And one of the ways the Word is communicated to our hearts is through the ministry of public preaching.
    Specifically, God has given the job of preaching in the local church to the pastors of the church.
    What does the term, “pastor” mean?
    Ephesians 4:11–12 ESV
    11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
    Did you know that the Biblical theme of God raising up leaders to care for his people like a shepherd caring for his sheep is found throughout the Bible?
    How does the Bible trace the theme of sheep and shepherds through the OT and NT? How does this impact your understanding of the role of a pastor?
    Psalm 77:20 ESV
    20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
    Psalm 78:70 ESV
    70 He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds;
    Israel at times had good shepherd to lead them like Moses and David, and then they had some really bad ones.
    One of the most weighty passages in the OT for leaders is found in the book of Ezekiel 34.
    Ezekiel 34:1–6 ESV
    1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; 6 they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.
    Jesus picks up on this theme in Matt 9.
    Matthew 9:36 ESV
    36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
    Jesus was the good shepherd that came to lay down his life for his sheep.
    John 10:11 ESV
    11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
    John 10:27 ESV
    27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
    As the Chief Shepherd Jesus commissioned future pastors/shepherds such as Peter using words like this...
    John 21:17 ESV
    17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
    1 Peter 5:4 ESV
    4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
    After Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave to some men the spiritual gift of the pastor/teacher
    Ephesians 4:11 ESV
    11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
    And this is one of the jobs of the under-shepherds of Jesus...
    1 Peter 4:11 ESV
    11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
    It’s easy to get ready, go to church, and sit through a sermon, all while forgetting who’s really speaking to us. But in every true church, God himself is speaking, in his word, through the pastor’s sermon. —Gunner Gundersen

    A Conditional Authority

    Even though the pastor is one who was appointed by Christ to be an under-shepherd of the flock, his authority is conditional.
    Hebrews 13:17 ESV
    17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
    How is the command to obey your leaders (pastors) and submit to them a conditional authority?
    Hebrews 13:7 ESV
    7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
    Divine authority rests in God’s word alone. So a preacher straying from Scripture is a cut flower, severed from its life source. — Gunner Gundersen
    Another way the pastor’s authority is conditional is through the proven character he is required to hold.
    1 Timothy 3:1–2 ESV
    1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
    Too often it takes a leadership scandal to remind us that charisma is not the same as character and that giftedness is not godliness. — Gunner Gundersen
    No pastor will ever be perfect. But the pastor’s own spiritual walk should be evident and their growth should be clear.
    1 Timothy 4:15 ESV
    15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.

    Hearing Your Shepherd’s Voice

    Should you be more influenced by your pastors and your local church or by the various preachers and teachers on the internet?
    Why?
    Who knows you better your pastor/discipler/church or people on the internet?
    Why is it important for your pastor and people in your local church to know you well?
    When I first became a pastor I could study the text of Scripture and explain what the passage meant to people. But now that I have been in ministry for 20 years I know much better how to apply that passage to the people around me.
    I know the hurts in marriages, the aching heart of a father for his son, the families with special needs. I know who needs a job, who is in pain, who is on the mountain top, and who is in the valley.
    One of the excellent arguments for disciple-making. You need other people in your local church who know you this well. And you need to get to know others in your church like this. Why?
    Outside voices may offer supplements, but our pastors serve the home-cooked meals. They know what we need in a unique way. So get to know your shepherds and let them know you. The deeper the bond, the more you’ll benefit. —Gunner Gundersen
    Expand this definition to others in the church!

    Pray for Ears to Hear

    Matthew 11:15 ESV
    15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
    Luke 8:8 ESV
    8 And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
    Luke 14:35 ESV
    35 It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
    Matthew 13:43 ESV
    43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
    What is required to hear the sound of my voice?
    Our auditory system includes the tympanic membrane (eardrum), ossicles (tiny bones), and cochlea (fluid-filled, hair-lined chambers). Together these parts receive sound waves and translate the vibrations to our brains.
    What is required for our spiritual auditory system to hear?
    It includes our cognition (thoughts), affections (desires), and volition (choices).
    These all describe the inner man of our hearts.
    What were our hearts like before Christ? Hard like stone, calloused, unfeeling, numb.
    What happened to your heart when you understood the gospel and believed?
    When God granted us new hearts, our ears came alive with a hunger to hear.
    I can remember going to church as a teenager and sitting though the sermons and drawing on my outline because listening to sermons was so boring!
    Then I went off to college and the Lord save me. He awake my heart and gave me ears to hear. Now all of a sudden I am taking notes in chapel. Listening with attention, eager to hear the Word!
    Can you relate to this?
    Ears to hear are a gift from God. Can a Christian’s spiritual ears get clogged, so listening well becomes difficult?
    Listening well requires preparation.
    Imaging if I got up to preach in a few minutes and said, “I didn’t prepare anything today, but I hope you make up for it with great listening.”
    What if I did this week after week after week.
    You wouldn’t stay long- or I wouldn’t.
    How often do we fly into church on a Sunday, pull out our Bibles (if we remember them), and basically say, “I didn’t prepare for the sermon this morning, but I hope you make up for it with great preaching.”?
    Example of unprepared hearing....
    Luke 10:40–41 ESV
    40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,
    Prepared hearing...
    Luke 10:39 ESV
    39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.
    Mary was like kid on Christmas morning waiting to open presents. Nothing else mattered but enjoying what Jesus calls the “good portion.”
    Luke 10:42 ESV
    42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
    How can we prepare spiritually as we cultivate ears to hear?
    We can talk to God, naming our worries and entrusting them to him.
    1 Peter 5:7 ESV
    7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
    We can look over the passage in advance, digesting its truths, so we are ready when the sermon starts.
    Praying IOU:
    Psalm 119:36 ESV
    36 Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
    Psalm 119:18 ESV
    18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
    Psalm 86:11 ESV
    11 unite my heart to fear your name.
    If you want to be fed, come hungry!
    Difference in feeding a dog and feeding a cat. Dogs eat like every meal is their first, last and best meal they have ever had. They always eat like they are starving and they never seem full.
    1 Peter 2:2 ESV
    2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
    What are somethings that can ruin our spiritual appetites?
    You might pause and ponder any ways that your time, energy, or mindset might be misdirected, diluting your spiritual interest. Is there anything about your habits, weekends, relationships, pursuits, or online interactions that might be blunting your hunger for God’s truth? If so, make a concrete change, stick with it, and see what God might do. —Gunner Gundersen
    1 Samuel 3:10 ESV
    10 “Speak, for your servant hears.”
    Isaiah 6:8 ESV
    8 “Here I am! Send me.”
    Luke 1:38 ESV
    38 “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
    Luke 2:49 ESV
    49 “I must be in my Father’s house?”
    They are shinning examples, Jesus most of all, of what it means to have ears to hear.

      • Luke 8:18ESV

      • Hebrews 1:1ESV

      • Hebrews 1:2ESV

      • Hebrews 2:3ESV

      • 1 Thessalonians 2:13ESV

      • Ephesians 4:11–12ESV

      • Psalm 77:20ESV

      • Psalm 78:70ESV

      • Ezekiel 34:1–6ESV

      • Matthew 9:36ESV

      • John 10:11ESV

      • John 10:27ESV

      • John 21:17ESV

      • 1 Peter 5:4ESV

      • Ephesians 4:11ESV

      • 1 Peter 4:11ESV

      • Hebrews 13:17ESV

      • Hebrews 13:7ESV

      • 1 Timothy 3:1–2ESV

      • 1 Timothy 4:15ESV

      • Matthew 11:15ESV

      • Luke 8:8ESV

      • Luke 14:35ESV

      • Matthew 13:43ESV

      • Luke 10:40–41ESV

      • Luke 10:39ESV

      • Luke 10:42ESV

      • 1 Peter 5:7ESV

      • Psalm 119:36ESV

      • Psalm 119:18ESV

      • Psalm 86:11ESV

      • 1 Peter 2:2ESV

      • 1 Samuel 3:10ESV

      • Isaiah 6:8ESV

      • Luke 1:38ESV

      • Luke 2:49ESV

Faith Baptist Church
faith@fbcocon.org
262-567-0040
http://www.fbcocon.org
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