- Can someone listen without hearing?
- Can someone look without seeing?
- Can someone talk without saying anything?
- Can someone eat if they are not hungry?
We live in a time when people are:
2 Timothy 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
This society has become a fast food generation… we want it cheap, we want it biggie sized and we want it right now. Because of this, we have started to practice this in every point in our lives.
In our homes we eat frozen dinners instead of a meal.
In our schools we learn how to take the test rather than the building of knowledge.
In our relationships we want the benefits of a lifelong relationship, by the 2nd date.
In our business practices: service companies must be available instantly, or customers go elsewhere. Products are made of cheap materials with the knowledge that they won’t keep it long enough to care about the quality.
In our Churches we can’t get to the doctrines of the Word of God because of time constraints.
In our society we have come to seek those who will do the thinking for us rather than exploring the matter ourselves to the point of fact.
As a result of this prepackaged mindset we don’t seem to value the Word of God, the House of God, the people of God or the teachers and preachers of God’s Word… because there is only enough effort to participate, not a desire to build upon the knowledge of God.
Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
When I was young, school was about knowledge. Methods and patterns were there to build upon knowledge… working the brain as a muscle to become stronger. We learned… how to learn, to experiment, to test and retest, to observe; then do it all again. There was effort to obtain the knowledge, and that made learning easier as you grew… Today we get the answers from a phone, bypassing the exercise of learning.
Proverbs 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
Proverbs 1:4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
Psalms 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
12 Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.
Having an effect
There is an old saying that you can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink…
Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
When pastoring… I once came home frustrated saying: “I have shouted the gospel to the ends of the earth and no one is listening”… to which my wife mentioned: “try whispering instead. That way they will have to put in the effort to listen.”
There is a certain privilege to be able to teach a child with the hopes of helping them see and understand… before this world has a chance to corrupt them to the point they become unteachable.
Daniel 1:4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Colossians 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
As a teacher and preacher of the word of God that is my prayer… that people come ready to:
- Listen and hear
- To Look and see
- To speak and have something worthy to be said
- To come to God’s house… hungry for the word of God…
… that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God