How to Listen to the Word of God - Part 2

Welcome to the In Touch Podcast with Charles Stanley for Wednesday, February 8th. How many texts, social media posts, news reports, headlines or videos do you see in a day? With all those voices speaking into your life, how well do you hear and understand the voice of God? Why is it some people come to church on Sunday morning or go to church and they walk away uplifted and feeling confident and comforted and assured and excited about life and looking forward to the coming week and just find out what God's going to do in their life. And then there are those other people who come and they just go away unmoved. They carry out the same old load of guilt they brought with them, the same feelings of emptiness that they felt when they came in. They walk away with the same sense of uncertainty, insecurity and oftentimes fear and dreads of facing the week that's ahead of them.

What is the difference in these two groups? I think there are probably some reasons, but there's one reason I want us to talk about in this message. I want to talk about how to listen to the Word of God. And I want you to turn, if you will, to the book of Nehemiah and the eighth chapter.

So the first word I want you to jot down is eagerly. That is, a person should come to church or go to church. Their attitude should be to listen to the Word of God eagerly.

Now listen to what happens here. It says in chapter eight, verse one, all the people gathered as one man at the square, which was in front of the Watergate. And they ask Ezra, the scribe, to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to them. So they were the ones who were asking, we want to hear from God's Word, remembering now that many of them had never heard. They had only heard what the Word of God said.

Remembering now, of course, they don't have Bibles, they don't have pads, they don't have copies of the scroll. And so this was a very, very momentous time for them. And so they were eager to hear, what did God really and truly say to Moses?

We've heard what our parents have said, what our grandparents have said, He said, that God said, but what did He really say? Because here now they were going to hear it, they were going to have it read right before them. And so they were very, very eager to hear what God had to say.

The second word I want you to jot down is attentively. Look what happens here. So then Ezra in verse two, Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men and women who could listen with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. And he read from it before the square which was in front of the Watergate from early morning until midday.

Now they didn't know anything about one-hour-long messages, thank you. It says, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand and all the people were what? Attended to the book of the law. These people stood.

When they stood they gave their absolute undivided attention because they knew they had to remember what they were hearing. Suppose you had no notes and suppose you had to walk out of here and the only thing you would have is the fact that what you could remember and no one else could tell you what you heard. How little truth I'm afraid you and I would carry out. Because our lives are so full. You think about all the things that clamor for your attention in any given day.

Now you think about this. You think about, let's give it about 16 hours a day. Of all the things that you hear, how much time do you focus, do you give your attention to Almighty God, to His Word in any given day out of seven days? So therefore, because it's so little time, is it not true that when you and I come to open the Word of God together to say, Lord, what are you saying? That we should give Him our absolute undivided attention? That the truth is that there's not anything else in the world that matters right now but God speak to my heart.

What do you want to say to me? And so I want to say again, the degree of my attention, the length of my attention span up to a point, and I realize there's a point at which nobody can stand but so much, but the intensity of my desire and hunger for God will determine what my attention span is. So the first word is what?

I'm to listen eagerly. The second word is what? Attentively.

The third word is trustfully. There is a difference in listening or listening to the reading of the Word of God without any question. There is a difference in that in listening to somebody expound or to translate or to interpret or to preach the Word of God. And so I'm not saying to you that you should believe every single thing you hear who, and no matter who's doing the preaching. So I want to make something very clear, not to be critical, but I think it's very important. You say, well then, are you saying to me that I should just believe everything you say without any question? No, indeed, because you see, the way you and I learn is not only to listen, but to look for ourselves and to study for ourselves.

So I want to make this clear. And so we come trustingly, asking the Lord to give us direction, and we ask Him to show us exactly what to do. But there's another word. The next word is this, and that is we're to come, listen, expectantly. If you will come expecting God to speak to your heart, my friend, God desires to speak to your heart. He wants to speak to your heart.

Think about this. You and I have the privilege of holding the Word of God in our hand, and God's Holy Spirit is living on the inside of you. And somebody is explaining what these verses mean. And the God who wants you to become like Him and wants you to learn His ways is the God living on the inside of you who wants you to understand. So God is there desiring for you to understand. Now, if you're a discerning person, you know whether it's the difference or whether somebody's just up there rattling off or whether God is trying to say something to your heart or not.

These people came expectantly. You and I should come anticipating what God has to say to us, because God knows what you're going to face next week. He knows exactly the difficulties, hardships, surprises you're going to face next week that you're not prepared for.

You know what? You should come expecting God. I want you to speak to my heart. I don't know what next week holds, but I know that you do. I don't know what I need today, but God, I know that you do.

Lord, I don't know what I'm going to face that's going to be more difficult than I think than I can handle. God, thank you that you haven't even told me maybe some things I'm going to face next week, but God, you know about it. And therefore, because you know, God, I'm expecting and anticipating you to say something to me, speak to my heart, God, in such a fashion that I'll be ready and equipped to face whatever I have to face tomorrow. That's how you have listened to a message, anticipating God to say something, to build you up, to strengthen you, comfort you, whatever the situation. When you and I are assembled together to worship Him on Sunday, God knows every single one of us by heart, soul, mind, and body. He knows exactly what every single one of us needs. This is the great mystery of preaching, that a man, a spokesman, can give one message for 45 or 50 minutes, speak one truth throughout that entire time. And you know what?

Everybody in the place hears something different. God knows what every single one of us needs. There's no question in his mind and heart. Therefore, you and I should come anticipating that God who knows me and knows my needs is going to meet some particular need in my life today. Thank God I can come anticipating that.

I mean, listen, why else come? You have a responsibility. God's going to speak the truth. And so you have a right and you have the responsibility to question things that do not sound scriptural. And as I say, some things don't even sound like God. They don't even sound like God. Listen carefully. Do not buy everything you hear because of a personality.

You buy it because it is the written revelation of the living God. That's the thing that makes the difference. Well, what's the first word? We listen how? Eagerly and attentively and trustingly and what else?

Expectantly. And the fifth word is we listen prayerfully and listen carefully. We're to pray at least for two things when we begin to listen to the Word of God.

And so somebody says, well, you know, what should I pray? Go back to 1 Samuel chapter three. You recall that Eli the priest has little Samuel now with him and he's bringing him up and tutoring him and he's a young lad.

And I want you to notice, if you will, in this third chapter, what happens. The Lord is speaking to little Samuel, young Samuel. And of course, he doesn't know what's going on. He doesn't understand what's happening. It's so evident that somebody's talking.

Here's what happens. Look, if you will, in verse eight, 1 Samuel three. So the Lord called Samuel again for the third time and he rose and went to Eli and said, Here I am, for you call me. Then Eli discerned that the Lord was calling the boy. And Eli said to Samuel, Go lie down, and it shall be, if he calls you that you shall say, Speak, Lord, for thy servant is listening.

You know what? You walk in here on Sunday morning, before the message begins, I want to ask you to start praying that prayer. Speak, Lord, for thy servant is listening.

Speaking of yourself, Lord, I'm listening. Speak to my heart, God, I'm listening. Your prayer is, God, speak to my heart. Now listen to what he says, asking, it should be given you seeking, you should find knocking, it should be open to you. He says, if we ask, we're going to receive, seek, we're going to find not we're going to be open is one thing I know that I don't ever have to put on the end of this prayer, if it be thy will, if I say, Lord, speak, thy servant is listening. God Almighty is going to answer that prayer, because that's exactly what he wants to do. He wants to speak to our heart, he wants to speak to our spirit. And so speak, Lord, thy servant listens. Let me tell you something. Any man of God, who is true to the Word of God, and who loves the people to whom he speaks, and is committed to being absolutely honest in his interpretation of the Word of God, and who's committed to bring glory and honor to God, desperately needs the prayers of the people who listen to him, no matter who he is.

And this is one of those things, people look, they think, oh, this guy's educated, or he's got experience, or he's this or he's that, or he just rounds it off. And he knows all that I need to pray for him, friend. Yes, every single pastor, every man of God who stands with this book, desperately needs the prayers of godly people asking God to work the truth in his life, teach him the principles, show him how to live in, show him how to teach it, make it simple through him, God. I'm probably the most needy person in here. And yet people have the idea, well, the pastor, I mean, you know, he can just trust God, but I want to make a public confession. I need you to pray for me. I can tell you that.

Let me tell you something, I wouldn't even think about walking out of here thinking that somehow that I'm smart enough to open this book and somehow, you know, I can figure this all out. There's not a man alive who is. And you know why I got changing people's lives and why he's working in your life and why he's making a difference? Because enough people listen, there are people all over this world who pray for me and I'm grateful for every single one of you. Don't stop now. That's what I tell people. People say I'm praying for us.

Don't stop now. I desperately need it. You know why? Because I want to know everything I can know about God.

I want to learn everything I can learn about him. You know why? Because I'm excited about what happens to me. And secondly, I'm excited about what happens to you. Listen carefully. The most important thing that any pastor does, second to nothing in all this world, is to get on his knees before the Word of God in prayer, seeking the mind of God for himself before he seeks the mind of God for anybody else. That is the most important thing he'll do in the first day of his ministry to the last day of his ministry. Nothing is so important as getting on your face before God and asking God, speak to my heart, Lord. Open my heart. Help me to be able to accept and receive what you're saying.

Show me how to work this in my life. It is the most important thing. Listen, it's the most important thing that I can do. The most important thing you can do for me is to cry out to God in my behalf.

Teach this man the truth so he can teach us the truth so our life can be changed so we can bring glory to God. Most important thing. That's the first word. Eagerly we listen eagerly. Secondly, we listen what?

Attentively. Number three, we listen what? Number four, we listen what? Expectantly. Number five, we listen what? And number six, we listen humbly. You say, well, what in the world do you mean by that?

Well, look what happened. The Scripture says, Ezra opened the book in the sight of the people. They stood up and then the Bible says, then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God and all the people answered saying, Amen, Amen, while lifting up their hands.

Then they bowed low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Now what's going on? Here's what's going on.

Here's what they're saying. They're saying, Amen, Amen, we concur with you. We agree with you, Ezra, that today we understand the revelation of God. Then the Bible says, what did they do? Listen, by lifting their hands, they were expressing their need of God, expressing their absolute total dependence upon Him. And then the Scripture says, listen, they were so awed by what was going to happen, they got on their faces and they bowed their faces before Almighty God to express their humility and their humbleness before Him. Let me ask you a question. When is the last time, now you can sort of brush this off, but if you do, you're going to be sorry. Listen, when's the last time you ever opened the Bible and got on your knees and said, God, in humility before you in my unworthiness, would you please speak to my heart?

I don't care what your rank is in life. Have you ever gotten on your knees with an open Bible and asked God to speak to your heart and tell Him that you wanted to hear from Him above everything else? When I think about how many people will trust the Lord Jesus Christ and live their entire life, live their entire life and never at one single time in their life ever honor God or this book enough to lay it on the floor and get down before it, humbling themselves before this almighty sovereign loving God and say, Lord, speak to my heart. Thy servant listens. And I'm simply saying if you're willing to open this book and get before God, God will make Himself so real and personal to you.

You, listen, you won't ever want to forget what He said. We come to Him humbly. God, I'm unworthy, I'm unfit. I'm a sinner saved by Your grace, but God, You said You love me unconditionally. I need to hear from you.

The next word number seven is purposefully. I am to listen to the Word of God with a definite purpose in mind. And that purpose is what that purpose is that I want to understand who He is, what He's like, how He works.

And I want to hear what He has to say to me personally. I do not believe that in any given message on any given Sunday that anybody could sit here, listen to the Word of God without God saying something specific and personal to every single one of us if our hearts are opened. Because it is eternal truth. It's comprehensive truth. It is truth that is personal and intimate.

It is truth that affects every single aspect of life. It is to listen purposefully. Why do you go to church? Somebody says, well, you know, I love it. I've been used to doing it all my life.

I enjoy it. That's not a good purpose. The purpose is to hear from God. The purpose is for God to deal with me, to equip me to face life next week, or even before the day is over. So we come to listen purposefully. Lord, I want to listen so that I hear truth so I can share truth and so I can give truth to someone else with a very definite purpose in mind.

And there are lots of other things I can say, but I'm giving you one more last word. And I want you to write down joyfully because I want you to notice a wonderful thing that happened here. The Scripture says in this ninth verse, it says, Then Nehemiah, who is the governor, and Ezra, the priest and scribe, and the Levites, who taught the people, said to all the people, This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep. They were weeping and mourning because of the underconviction and realizing that those 70 years in captivity was because of their sin and the sins of their forefathers primarily. For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the Lord.

And I'm sure they're weeping in joy also. Then he said to them, Go eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, send portions to him who has nothing prepared. For this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, Be still, for the day is holy.

Do not be grieved. And all the people went away to eat, to drink, to send portions, and to celebrate a great festival because they understood the words which had been made known to them. Now what does that say? It says, Listen, you and I should come eagerly and attentively. We should come with those attitudes that we've discussed.

How should we leave? Joyfully, praising God and thanking Him for what? Because we've heard the Word of God. Somebody says, Now, wait a minute. Now hold it now. But I came under deep conviction. I came hurting. I came in sorrow.

I came needing something. Well, listen, if you have listened to the Word of God, then you will have been encouraged. Your assurance will have been strengthened. And so what happens?

No matter how you walk in, you should be able to walk out with a sense of confidence. God loves me. This is the Word of God. He cares for me. He's going to make a way for me in this coming week. God's going to show me. He's going to strengthen me. He's going to enable me to walk for this difficult time in my life. God is going to do this in my life because this is the God whom I serve. You and I should be able to walk out of here no matter what with a sense of utter joy deep down inside.

Somebody says, Well, wait a minute now. But I came with, I got under conviction over sin. How am I going to walk out joyfully? Repent of it. Deal with it. If you don't deal with it, you're not going to walk out of here with any joy.

But you and I should be able to walk away with joy in our heart. God has spoken in my heart today. I've been enriched in the Word of God. I have worshiped him and sang to him.

I've praised him and I'm rejoicing in him and I'm looking forward to see what God's going to do in the coming week. So let's start with number one. How do you listen to the Word of God? And I want you to say it enthusiastic even if you have to read it. Number one, eagerly. Number two, attentively. Number three, trustfully. Number four, expectantly. Number five, prayerfully. Number six, humbly.

Number seven, purposefully. And we should leave joyfully. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you for listening to part two of How to Listen to the Word of God. If you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley or In Touch Ministries, stop by intouch.org. This podcast is a presentation of In Touch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia.