Opening Verse: Luke 8:18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.
How you hear the Word of God is going to determine everything for your future, in this life and eternally. A lot of times when a prophet would prophesy in the old testament he would say “Hear ye the Word of the Lord”! Hearing the Word of God is more than just hearing the words spoken and the noise it brings. To “hear” God’s Word means to pay attention closely, make sure you understand correctly, and then obey diligently. God’s Word is a command and when it isn’t obeyed it is sin. Children of the devil cannot hear God’s Word because they have a carnal mind! Jesus said, He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Remember, not hearing correctly cost’s people their souls. Today we are gonna learn all about hearing God’s Word correctly.
It’s Dangerous to hear the Word if you are not determined to obey it! Luke 11:28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. (When people hear the commandment and you don’t do it they reject God. Then through disobedience they leave the path of God and go another way. They get lost but then still act like they are on the straight and narrow. You're only a christian if you continue to follow in the way. In other words, if you continue to hear! Stay close to God!!!)
People are deceiving themselves into hell! James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. ( These are the people that go to church or listen to good teaching but don’t apply it to their lives. James is telling us that if you just hear outwardly but don’t do what it says you really didn’t really hear. Biblical hearing entails action.)
Define Hear - (In this context) (1828 Webster) 1. To listen; to hearken; to attend.
Define Hearken 1. To attend; to regard; to give heed to what is uttered; to observe or obey.
Circumcise your ears so you can hear
Uncircumcised ears 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. ( What does it mean to have uncircumcised ears? It means you hear the word of God incorrectly. It means there is skin blocking your ear hole so that you can’t hear. It usually happens because of a rebellious heart or preconceived belief’s that come from false doctrine. Such as, “we all have sin” or “nobody’s perfect”. This is why God commands us to circumcise our ears so that we can hear with faith and believe the whole truth! It takes courage and a leap of faith to truly believe. If you believe it will change everything! )
The Lord opened my ears Isaiah 50:4-5 4The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. 5The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. (If God allows you to hear you better not turn back to your previous beliefs.)
Psalms 40:6-8 6Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. 7Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. (God opens our ears to understand by His grace. Psalms 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.” Pray and cry out to God for a proper understanding so you can obey Him. Give Testimony.)
Only God gives a hearing ear and a seeing eye Proverbs 20:12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them. ( Only a spiritual mind can see in faith. A spiritual mind is given by God through keeping in God’s Word and a life of prayer and fasting.)
We can see the Kingdom in the Spirit John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (I’m as sure of the Kingdom of God as I am my own physical reality. You must believe and by faith God will show you!)
Parable of the Sower: A parable about how people hear Luke 8:4-15 4And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: 5A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. 6And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. 7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. 8And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 9And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? 10And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. 11Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 13They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 14And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
The Word is sown and to those who hear the Kingdom is birthed and grows up to bear fruit Mark 4:21-34 21And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick? 22For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. 23If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. 24And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. 25For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath. 26And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; 27And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. 28For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. 29But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. 30And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? 31It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: 32But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. 33And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. 34But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples. (We are born again into the Kingdom of God through the Word. But you must not hide it. You must believe it, live by it, and share it.)
They heard but they didn’t Hear Hebrews 4:12 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. (The seed was dormant. They truly didn’t hear the Word. Remember, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God! So you will act in faith if you truly believe.)
Don’t trust yourself and your own understanding / Trust the Word Proverbs 3:5-8 5Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 8It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. (We trust the Word! We let scripture interpret scripture and get our definitions from scripture.)
Don’t trust in your heart Proverbs 28:26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. ( Trust in the Word, not what you think or know! )
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (We walk by faith, not by sight. You got to be close to God and know the Word. The Spirit will always lead you through His Word!)
The carnal cannot Hear 1 Corinthians 2:12-16 12Now 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. 13Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14But 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. 15But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (It takes the grace of God. Those who seek God will understand.)
Only righteous people can see Daniel 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. (Wise people can see through the lens of the Word. They can see through God’s eyes! They have true understanding.)
You cannot hear the Word because you are not of God John 8:42-47 42Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
Proverbs 13:13 Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded. Trust in the Word!
Jeremiah prophesies to dead bones and they Hear! Ezekiel 37:1-14 1The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. 3And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. 4Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 6And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 7So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 8And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. 9Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. 11Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. 12Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, 14And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD. ( What does this represent? This is an example of prophesy in the bible. Prophesy is not only talking about telling the future. Most prophecy is declaring the Word of God!)
Prophecy the scriptures / Preach the Word 2 Peter 1:19 19We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (The sure prophecy is the scriptures.)
The Saints eyes have been enlightened Ephesians 1:15-23 15Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
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