The Lesson of Hearing

 

Thank God for giving us many wonderful opportunities to hear God¡¦s words in the summer conference through His servant on the topic of ¡¥Worthy For God¡¦s Kingdom¡¦. Last Sunday, I shared with you on ¡§The Words of Christian¡¨, exhorting all to take heed in our words. The children of God have a lot of self-discipline in both ¡¥speaking¡¦ and ¡¥hearing¡¦. For the theme of our church in August is ¡¥To Equip by Hearing¡¦. And I would like to share with you a bit on this column.

 

When Jesus taught about the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, He began to point out the importance of ¡¥hearing¡¦ in the first parable of ¡¥Seed and Soil¡¦. (Matthew 13:1-23) This parable is the first parable on a series of parables of the Kingdom of Heaven. In this parable, our Lord told us that our heart must be ready and our attitude must be right towards the unchanging living words of God. If it is not, we still do not understand after hearing His words. Like the Jews in the time of Jesus, ¡¥for their heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears and they have closed their eyes.¡¦ Therefore, even though the Great Creator of both the heaven and the earth revealed to them, speaking to them, they still did not know Him, or understand His parables, or realize the great blessing they encountered. (Matthew 13:15)

 

According to the teaching of our Lord, the first essential lesson to perceive the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven is to make ready of our heart to hear God¡¦s words. (1) Satan does not afraid to see us often hearing God¡¦s words. It is because he is swift to snatch away the seed of His words from a heart that never seeks for understanding. This is exactly like the seed that is sown along the path. (verse 4, 19) We must have a heart that seeks for understanding, do not simply swallow the words of God without an in depth meditation. Remember the evil one is quick to snatch away God¡¦s words from our heart. (2) Satan does not afraid to see us receiving God¡¦s words with joy and with understanding. It is because he will use trouble and persecution to reveal our shallowness of soil in our heart. The stony place of heart is those people who do not love spiritual things and noble things of God. People who deeply desire for God may focus on heavenly eternal things. (Colossians 3:2) If we have deep and stoneless soil in our heart, the seed of God¡¦s words will have greater chance to take root and grow strong. If a plant can take deep root into the soil, it has less chance to be fallen down. It is because life in it grows strong. (3) Satan will use earthly cares and deceitfulness of riches to choke God¡¦s words in our heart so that it cannot grow. This is the seed that is sown among the thorns. There are many people on the Sunday service whose minds wander away on the things of this world such as work, family, children, health and the desires on drinking and eating. The earthy and fleshy things will choke God¡¦s words. Therefore, we must get rid of those cares and deceitfulness of materialism from us. Do not let them to take root in our heart. Allow room for God in us. (1 John 2:15-17) (4) A good soil is the heart of those people who hear with understanding and delight, desiring God, allow no deceitful roots to take place, bear fruits and produce; some hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. For if we do not simply hear the words of God, but to work out His truth, God¡¦s words will generate a great incredible effect. Thus, the lesson of hearing God¡¦s words is just like the labor of a farmer on his field. There is a lot of hardship and exercise before he can see a good harvest.

 

Thank God! There are many people desiring to hear God¡¦s word by coming to the Community Center on Sunday. But I hope to see as many ¡¥Wise Men¡¦ as possible among us. For they hear and do God¡¦s word. (Matthew 7:24) And I prayerfully ask God to raise among us as many ¡¥Overcomers¡¦ as possible. For they hear and obey what the Spirit says to the churches. They live according to the Holy Spirit. (Revelation 2:7,11,17,29, 3:6, 13,22) Amen.

 

By: Daniel To