This past Sunday morning we studied about how to be a "Good soil hearer".
After describing a good soil hearer the Lord Jesus instructs those who have ears to hear, to take heed how they hear. He tells them to lit. see what they hear, to perceive, to understand, and cling to the word of God until it produces a huge harvest.
For those who believe they have ears to hear, what are some steps one can take in order to "take heed how they hear".
Below is a list of practical steps from John Piper on how we can take heed how we hear and allow God's word to produce a full harvest in our lives.
1. Pray that God would give you a good and honest heart.
The heart we need is a work of God. That's why we pray for it. Ezekiel 36:26, "I will give you a new heart." Jeremiah 24:7, "I will give them a heart to know Me." Let's pray, "O Lord, give me a heart for you. Give me a good and honest heart. Give me a soft and receptive heart. Give me a humble and meek heart. Give me a fruitful heart."
2. Meditate on the Word of God.
Psalm 34:8, "O taste and see that the LORD is good." On Saturday night read some delicious portion of your Bible with a view to stirring up hunger for God. This is the appetizer for Sunday morning's meal.
3. Purify your mind by turning away from worldly entertainment.
James 12:1, "Putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls." It astonishes me how many Christians watch the same banal, empty, silly, trivial, titillating, suggestive, immodest TV shows that most unbelievers watch. This makes us small and weak and worldly and inauthentic in worship. Instead, turn off the television on Saturday night and read something true and great and beautiful and pure and honorable and excellent and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8). Your heart will unshrivel and be able to feel greatness again.
4. Trust in the truth that you already have.
The hearing of the word of God that fails during trial has no root (Luke 8:13). What is the root we need? It is trust. Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream." Trusting in the truth you already have is the best way to prepare yourself to receive more.
5. Rest long enough Saturday night to be alert and hopeful Sunday morning.
1 Corinthians 6:12, "All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything." I am not laying down any law here. I am saying there are Saturday night ways that ruin Sunday morning worship. Don't be enslaved by them. Without sufficient sleep, our minds are dull, our emotions are flat, our proneness to depression is higher, and our fuses are short. My counsel decide when you must get up on Sunday in order to have time to eat, get dressed, pray and meditate on the Word, prepare the family, and travel to church; and then compute backward eight hours and be sure that you are in bed 15 minutes before that. Read your Bible in bed and fall asleep with the Word of God in your mind. I especially exhort parents to teach teenagers that Saturday is NOT the night to stay out late with friends. If there is a special late night, make it Friday. It is a terrible thing to teach children that worship is so optional that it doesn't matter if you are exhausted when you come.
6. Forebear one another Sunday morning without grumbling and criticism.
Psalm 106:25, "They grumbled in their tents; they did not listen to the voice of the LORD." Sunday morning grumbling and controversy and quarreling can ruin a worship service for a family. When there is something you are angry about or some conflict that you genuinely think needs to be talked about, forebear. Of course if you are clearly the problem and need to apologize, do it as quickly as you can (Matthew 5:23-24). But if you are fuming because of children or spouse delinquency, forebear, that is, be slow to anger and quick to listen (James 1:19). In worship open yourself to God's exposing the log in your own eye. It may be that all of you will be humbled and chastened so that no conflict is necessary.
7. Be meek and teachable when you come.
James 12:1 "In meekness receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls." Meekness and teachability are not gullibility. You have your Bible and you have your brain. Use them. But if we come with a chip on our shoulder and a suspicion of the preaching week after week, we will not hear the Word of God. Meekness is a humble openness to God's truth with a longing to be changed by it.
8. Be still as you enter the room and focus your mind's attention and heart's affection on God.
Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God." As we enter the sanctuary, let us "come on the lookout for God and leave on the lookout for people." Come with a quiet passion to seek God and his power. We will not be an unfriendly church if we are aggressive in our pursuit of God during the prelude and aggressive in our pursuit of visitors during the postlude.
9. Think earnestly about what is sung and prayed and preached.
1 Corinthians 14:20, "Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature". So Paul says to Timothy, "Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything" (2 Timothy 2:7). Anything worth hearing is worth thinking about. If you would take heed how you hear, think about what you hear.
10. Desire the Truth of God's Word more than you desire riches or food.
1 Peter 2:2 "Like newborn babies, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation." As you sit quietly and pray and meditate on the text and the songs, remind yourself of what Psalm 19:10-11 says about the Words of God "More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
American idols
This is a test I wish all of my congregation would take time to answer.
I make it available for all who are passionate about loving God supremely and want to keep themselves from idols.
13 Questions to Diagnose Your Idolatries
August 25, 2010 | By: Tyler Kenney | Category: Recommendations
This past Sunday, Kenny Stokes preached his second message on 1 John 5:20-21, which ends, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." (See his first sermon on this passage.)
Near the end he laid out 13 questions, adapted from an old Puritan sermon, to help us identify the idols of our hearts:
What do you most highly value?
What do you think about by default?
What is your highest goal?
To what or whom are you most committed?
Who or what do you love the most?
Who or what do you trust or depend upon the most?
Who or what do you fear the most?
Who or what do you hope in and hope for most?
Who or what do you desire the most? Or, what desire makes you most angry or makes you despair when it is not satisfied?
Who or what do you most delight in or hold as your greatest joy and treasure?
Who or what captures your greatest zeal?
To whom or for what are you most thankful?
For whom or what great purpose do you work?
Click here to Read or listen to the rest of his sermon.
http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/2624_13_questions_to_diagnose_your_idolatries/
I make it available for all who are passionate about loving God supremely and want to keep themselves from idols.
13 Questions to Diagnose Your Idolatries
August 25, 2010 | By: Tyler Kenney | Category: Recommendations
This past Sunday, Kenny Stokes preached his second message on 1 John 5:20-21, which ends, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." (See his first sermon on this passage.)
Near the end he laid out 13 questions, adapted from an old Puritan sermon, to help us identify the idols of our hearts:
What do you most highly value?
What do you think about by default?
What is your highest goal?
To what or whom are you most committed?
Who or what do you love the most?
Who or what do you trust or depend upon the most?
Who or what do you fear the most?
Who or what do you hope in and hope for most?
Who or what do you desire the most? Or, what desire makes you most angry or makes you despair when it is not satisfied?
Who or what do you most delight in or hold as your greatest joy and treasure?
Who or what captures your greatest zeal?
To whom or for what are you most thankful?
For whom or what great purpose do you work?
Click here to Read or listen to the rest of his sermon.
http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/2624_13_questions_to_diagnose_your_idolatries/
Friday, August 13, 2010
Living for the Glory of God
I started listening to John Piper's "Don't Waste Your Life" Regional Conf. this morning and was challenged by the truth that God does all things for His Glory and that the essence of a wasted life is to not recognize that truth and to not live your life for the purpose of Glorifying God in all things.
Initially this sounds very theological and you may feel the temptation to avoid it and focus on more practical things, but let me admonish that there is nothing more practical, nor fundamental to our everyday lives than recognizing God's passion for His glory and our responsibility to glorify God in all things.
This is a weighty matter and I believe requires, prayer, perseverance, meditation, practice, and most of all the Spirit to effectively appropriate this truth.
I want to put down some of the scriptures and thoughts that I had this morning for meditative purposes and in order to package this truth in such a way that it is easier for me to process and apply.
The Scripture makes it very clear that the purpose of God in all things is to Glorify himself.
The Heavens declare the Glory of God:
Ps 19:1-4
The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. NKJV
The Earth declares the Glory of God:
Isa 6:3 And one cried to another and said:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!"
Jesus declared the Glory of God:
John 17:4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do" NKJV
Paul declared the Glory of God:
Phil 1:20-21 "20 according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified (Glorified) in my body, whether by life or by death." NKJV
Additional verses:
Isa 43:6-7
Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth --7 Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him." NKJV
Israel:
Ps 106:7-8 "7 Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, But rebelled by the sea -- the Red Sea. 8 Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake, That He might make His mighty power known." NKJV
The Gentiles:
Rom 15:7-9
Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers,9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, NKJV
NKJV
I am to glorify God in my marriage, in my parenting, in my eating, in my drinking, in my playing, in my money, in my work, in my serving, thru all of these things I am to magnify the greatness of Christ.
I am to show in whatever I do that Christ is more precious to me than anything.
David said,
Ps 63:3 "Your unfailing love is better to me than life itself; how I praise you! " NLT
God's love towards David meant more to Him than anything in the world, even more than life itself.
Very much like the Apostle Paul when He said "to die is gain", Christ was better to him than anything in this life. Paul saw it as "Far better to depart and be with Christ" This is glorifying Christ above all things.
I am to join in w/ all of creation and declare the glory of God thru the giving of my praise, my possessions, and my person. (Rom. 12:1-2; Heb. 13:15-16)
I glorify God by treasuring His Word above all things and seeking to live my life as a husband, father, servant, steward, according to God's will revealed in scripture, not my will or the standard set by our culture.
There is no way that I can share all the different ways we are to glorify God by the way we live our lives as parents, spouses, servants, stewards, etc...according to the scriptures. You will have to study those things for yourself, but we should desire to know what God's will is in each area so that we may glorify Him in all we do.
I will close w/ this verse though it probably should have been inserted earlier.
As we seek to live a life that cherishes Christ above all things, let us find encouragement in the words Jesus prayed in John 17.
John 17:26
26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them." NKJV
I have never seen this before, but Jesus literally asked the Father to give us the same love with which He loved the Son.
Jesus would not have asked this if were not possible.
We can ask the Father, and by the Spirit, the love of the Father for the Son can be imparted to us!
This gives me Hope! This gives me encouragement!
As I strive, and as I grow in Grace, through the scriptures, and by the help of the Holy Spirit, I can live my life to the Glory of God, for which I was created.
Initially this sounds very theological and you may feel the temptation to avoid it and focus on more practical things, but let me admonish that there is nothing more practical, nor fundamental to our everyday lives than recognizing God's passion for His glory and our responsibility to glorify God in all things.
This is a weighty matter and I believe requires, prayer, perseverance, meditation, practice, and most of all the Spirit to effectively appropriate this truth.
I want to put down some of the scriptures and thoughts that I had this morning for meditative purposes and in order to package this truth in such a way that it is easier for me to process and apply.
The Scripture makes it very clear that the purpose of God in all things is to Glorify himself.
The Heavens declare the Glory of God:
Ps 19:1-4
The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. NKJV
The Earth declares the Glory of God:
Isa 6:3 And one cried to another and said:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!"
Jesus declared the Glory of God:
John 17:4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do" NKJV
Paul declared the Glory of God:
Phil 1:20-21 "20 according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified (Glorified) in my body, whether by life or by death." NKJV
Additional verses:
Isa 43:6-7
Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth --7 Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him." NKJV
Israel:
Ps 106:7-8 "7 Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, But rebelled by the sea -- the Red Sea. 8 Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake, That He might make His mighty power known." NKJV
The Gentiles:
Rom 15:7-9
Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers,9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, NKJV
The Heavens declare the Glory of God, The Earth is full of the Glory of God, The angels give glory to God, Israel was chosen for the glory of God, the gentiles were saved to the glory of God, Paul lived to the glory of God, Jesus lived to the glory of God, and the absolute purpose of my life is to glorify God in all things.
1 Cor 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of GodNKJV
I am to glorify God in my marriage, in my parenting, in my eating, in my drinking, in my playing, in my money, in my work, in my serving, thru all of these things I am to magnify the greatness of Christ.
Questions I ask myself:
- Do I demonstrate that Christ is more precious to me than food, entertainment, money, career, reputation, sports, sex, hobbies, etc...
- Are they more glorious than He is? Rom. 1:21 "Althought they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful...v. 25 Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they worshiped the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever. Amen.
I am to show in whatever I do that Christ is more precious to me than anything.
David said,
Ps 63:3 "Your unfailing love is better to me than life itself; how I praise you! " NLT
God's love towards David meant more to Him than anything in the world, even more than life itself.
Very much like the Apostle Paul when He said "to die is gain", Christ was better to him than anything in this life. Paul saw it as "Far better to depart and be with Christ" This is glorifying Christ above all things.
I am to join in w/ all of creation and declare the glory of God thru the giving of my praise, my possessions, and my person. (Rom. 12:1-2; Heb. 13:15-16)
I glorify God by treasuring His Word above all things and seeking to live my life as a husband, father, servant, steward, according to God's will revealed in scripture, not my will or the standard set by our culture.
There is no way that I can share all the different ways we are to glorify God by the way we live our lives as parents, spouses, servants, stewards, etc...according to the scriptures. You will have to study those things for yourself, but we should desire to know what God's will is in each area so that we may glorify Him in all we do.
I will close w/ this verse though it probably should have been inserted earlier.
As we seek to live a life that cherishes Christ above all things, let us find encouragement in the words Jesus prayed in John 17.
John 17:26
26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them." NKJV
I have never seen this before, but Jesus literally asked the Father to give us the same love with which He loved the Son.
Jesus would not have asked this if were not possible.
We can ask the Father, and by the Spirit, the love of the Father for the Son can be imparted to us!
This gives me Hope! This gives me encouragement!
As I strive, and as I grow in Grace, through the scriptures, and by the help of the Holy Spirit, I can live my life to the Glory of God, for which I was created.
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