Our Hearing
Our hearing is very important, because as we read in Romans 10:17 it says “so
then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”.
The Bible tells us in II Timothy 2:15 “study to show yourself approved to God, a
workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”. Notice
that if you can rightly divide the word, you can also wrongly divide the word.
Dividing the word is breaking down what you are hearing so that you can get the
understanding of it.
Proverbs chapter 4 gives us sound advice concerning what we hear; it says “hear,
you children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I
give you good doctrine, forsake you not my law. For I was my father’s son, tender
and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said to me, let
your heart retain my words; keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get
understanding; forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake
her not, and she shall preserve you; love her, and she shall keep you. Wisdom is
the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all your getting get
understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote you; she shall bring you to honor
when you do embrace her. She shall give to your head an ornament of grace; a
crown of glory shall she deliver to you. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings;
and the years of your life shall be many. I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I
have led you in right paths. When you go, your steps shall not be straitened; and
when you run you shall not stumble. Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go;
keep her; for she is your life. Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in
the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they
sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless
they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine
of violence. But the path of the just is as the shinning light, that shines more and
more to the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at
what they stumble. My son, attend to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they
are life to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the
issues of life. Put away from you a forward mouth, and perverse lips put far from
you. Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you.
Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Turn not to the
right hand nor to the left, remove your foot from evil”. There are several key
elements here; we must hear the word of God; and retain His words; keep His
words before our eyes and in our heart. Jesus told us that out of the abundance of
the heart the mouth speaks.
You can’t expect to feed yourself on a diet of all the questionable things which
comes on the television and go to church for 2 hours and be strong. We are told
to be strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10); being strong in the Lord is being strong
in His Word because Jesus and the Word are one (John 1:14) “and the word was
made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth”.
The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which
strengthens me”. Remember how Jesus defeated the devil in His wilderness
testing (Matthew 4:1-13); every time the devil came to Him with a question, Jesus
answered by saying it is written, then said what contradicted what the devil was
trying to tempt Him with. Jesus defeated the devil with the word of God. And we
also can defeat him in our life by using the word of God. Remember, that God the
Father told us in Isaiah 55:11, that we are to return His words to Him. And Jesus
says in John 8:26 “I speak to the world those things which I have heard of the
Father”.
Looking back to where the word was originally used to see its real meaning. God
used this word in talking to Adam after the fall in Genesis 3:17 “and to Adam, He
said, because you have hearkened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the
tree of which I commanded you, saying, you shall not eat of it, cursed is the ground
for your sake, in sorrow shall you eat of it all the days of your life”. Notice that
Adam not only heard what Eve said, but he also did what she asked him to do,
even thought it went against what God had said. Adam heard and then he did.
God Himself used this word in describing the disobedience of Israel (Psalms 81:11-
14) “but My people would not hearken to My voice; and Israel would none of Me.
So I gave them up to their own hearts lust; and they walked in their own counsels.
Oh that My people had hearkened to Me; and Israel had walked in My ways. I
should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned My hand against their
adversaries”. Listen to this because Israel would not hearkened to God, they went
through many problems.
Jesus Himself used this word to distinguish between the wise and the foolish
(Matthew 7:21-27) “not every one that says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of My Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your
name? And in Your name have cast out devils? And in Your name done many
wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you; depart from
Me, you that work iniquity. Therefore, whosoever hears these sayings of Mine, and
does them, I will liken him to a wise man, which built his house upon a rock. And
the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew; and beat upon that
house, and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock. And everyone that hears
these sayings of Mine, and does them not; shall be likened to a foolish man, which
built his house upon the sand; shall be likened to a foolish man, which built his
house upon the sand. 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”.
Notice the same rains fell, and the floods came and the winds blew, but those who
heard the words of Jesus and did them, they were protected.
James tells us in James 1:22-25 “but be you doers of the word, and not hearers
only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a
doer, he is like to a man beholding his natural face in a glass (mirror). For he
beholds himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what manner of man
he was. But whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty (Bible) and continues
therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be
blessed in his deed”. Through out the Bible the word hearing means to hear and
then to do what it says. Remember that God told Joshua in Joshua 1:8 “this book
of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day
and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein; for
then you shall make your way prosperous and then you shall have good success”.
Many are trying to have success, but they are not meditating on the word of God;
and it won’t happen.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: December 2, 2011
Our hearing is very important, because as we read in Romans 10:17 it says “so
then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”.
The Bible tells us in II Timothy 2:15 “study to show yourself approved to God, a
workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”. Notice
that if you can rightly divide the word, you can also wrongly divide the word.
Dividing the word is breaking down what you are hearing so that you can get the
understanding of it.
Proverbs chapter 4 gives us sound advice concerning what we hear; it says “hear,
you children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I
give you good doctrine, forsake you not my law. For I was my father’s son, tender
and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said to me, let
your heart retain my words; keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get
understanding; forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake
her not, and she shall preserve you; love her, and she shall keep you. Wisdom is
the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all your getting get
understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote you; she shall bring you to honor
when you do embrace her. She shall give to your head an ornament of grace; a
crown of glory shall she deliver to you. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings;
and the years of your life shall be many. I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I
have led you in right paths. When you go, your steps shall not be straitened; and
when you run you shall not stumble. Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go;
keep her; for she is your life. Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in
the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they
sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless
they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine
of violence. But the path of the just is as the shinning light, that shines more and
more to the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at
what they stumble. My son, attend to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they
are life to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the
issues of life. Put away from you a forward mouth, and perverse lips put far from
you. Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you.
Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Turn not to the
right hand nor to the left, remove your foot from evil”. There are several key
elements here; we must hear the word of God; and retain His words; keep His
words before our eyes and in our heart. Jesus told us that out of the abundance of
the heart the mouth speaks.
You can’t expect to feed yourself on a diet of all the questionable things which
comes on the television and go to church for 2 hours and be strong. We are told
to be strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10); being strong in the Lord is being strong
in His Word because Jesus and the Word are one (John 1:14) “and the word was
made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth”.
The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which
strengthens me”. Remember how Jesus defeated the devil in His wilderness
testing (Matthew 4:1-13); every time the devil came to Him with a question, Jesus
answered by saying it is written, then said what contradicted what the devil was
trying to tempt Him with. Jesus defeated the devil with the word of God. And we
also can defeat him in our life by using the word of God. Remember, that God the
Father told us in Isaiah 55:11, that we are to return His words to Him. And Jesus
says in John 8:26 “I speak to the world those things which I have heard of the
Father”.
Looking back to where the word was originally used to see its real meaning. God
used this word in talking to Adam after the fall in Genesis 3:17 “and to Adam, He
said, because you have hearkened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the
tree of which I commanded you, saying, you shall not eat of it, cursed is the ground
for your sake, in sorrow shall you eat of it all the days of your life”. Notice that
Adam not only heard what Eve said, but he also did what she asked him to do,
even thought it went against what God had said. Adam heard and then he did.
God Himself used this word in describing the disobedience of Israel (Psalms 81:11-
14) “but My people would not hearken to My voice; and Israel would none of Me.
So I gave them up to their own hearts lust; and they walked in their own counsels.
Oh that My people had hearkened to Me; and Israel had walked in My ways. I
should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned My hand against their
adversaries”. Listen to this because Israel would not hearkened to God, they went
through many problems.
Jesus Himself used this word to distinguish between the wise and the foolish
(Matthew 7:21-27) “not every one that says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of My Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your
name? And in Your name have cast out devils? And in Your name done many
wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you; depart from
Me, you that work iniquity. Therefore, whosoever hears these sayings of Mine, and
does them, I will liken him to a wise man, which built his house upon a rock. And
the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew; and beat upon that
house, and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock. And everyone that hears
these sayings of Mine, and does them not; shall be likened to a foolish man, which
built his house upon the sand; shall be likened to a foolish man, which built his
house upon the sand. 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”.
Notice the same rains fell, and the floods came and the winds blew, but those who
heard the words of Jesus and did them, they were protected.
James tells us in James 1:22-25 “but be you doers of the word, and not hearers
only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a
doer, he is like to a man beholding his natural face in a glass (mirror). For he
beholds himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what manner of man
he was. But whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty (Bible) and continues
therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be
blessed in his deed”. Through out the Bible the word hearing means to hear and
then to do what it says. Remember that God told Joshua in Joshua 1:8 “this book
of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day
and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein; for
then you shall make your way prosperous and then you shall have good success”.
Many are trying to have success, but they are not meditating on the word of God;
and it won’t happen.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: December 2, 2011
