Learn to Listen - 2

Learn to Listen - 2

Subject – Learning the Value of a Whisper

By Rick Welborne

1 Samuel 3:9-10 (NIV)
⁹  So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
¹⁰  The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." 

--I believe all of us would be in agreement that we live in a hurry scurry noisy chaotic world. There has never been so many voices with so little to say.

--Everyone has their viewpoints, their politics, and their opinions. If you don’t believe it, just ask them. Be careful because their voices will probably be loud and disturbing.

--We all say we want to hear from God or receive a word from God but there is no indication that God has ever stopped speaking to us individually.

--Just a word from someone who loves you and cares about what happens in your life, if you can get still and be quiet long enough you just might hear the voice of God.

--I have preached multiple times about Elijah and his powerful ministry. God used him to call fire down from Heaven and to kill hundreds of false prophets. 

--He is then threatened by the woman Jezebel and he runs for his life into the wilderness. He sits under a broom tree and is so depressed that he prays that he would die.

--God feeds him by food brought to him by a bird (Uber Eats) and a jar of water. He tells him to sleep. Never underestimate the power of food and a nap. He sends him to Horeb.

--When he arrives at Horeb (the Mountain of God) God gets his attention and then He speaks:

1 Kings 19:11-12 (NKJV)
¹¹  Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake;
¹²  and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

--A still small voice…ESV says a low whisper. NASB says a gentle blowing. NIV says a gentle whisper. So often we dismiss the wind, the earthquake, and the fire because God was not in them.

--The truth is they got Elijah’s attention. Maybe, just maybe your life is in such upheaval and such chaos because God is trying to get your attention.

--Have you ever thought about this; God has an outside voice and He is not afraid of using it to wake us up!

--But when God really wants to be heard, when what he has to say is too important to miss, He often speaks in a whisper just barely above the threshold of hearing. The question is why?

1. The Sound of a Whisper

--The Hebrew word for “Whisper” demamah can be translated as silence, stillness, or calmness. Interesting that this is the same Hebrew word that is used when God delivers us from our distress. 

Mark 4:38-39 (NKJV)
³⁸  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"
³⁹  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

Mark 4:39 (NIV) ³⁹ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 

--Because it is still the same Hebrew word, you can literally say that Jesus calmed the storm with a whisper. Do you just suppose Jesus can stop the storms in your life with just a whisper?

--His whisper is gentle but nothing is more powerful. The dictionary says a whisper is speaking very softly using one’s breath instead of vocal cords.

--Jesus using His breath instead of vocal cords is significant because isn’t that how God created Adam. He whispered into the dust and called it Adam.

Genesis 2:7 (NKJV) ⁷ And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. 

--Adam was once a whisper. So were you and everything else that God created. How amazing is that?

--Whispering is typically used for secrecy. No form of communication is more intimate. It seems it is God’s preferred method to communicate with us. But the question is why?

--When someone whispers in a whisper you have to get very close to hear. In fact, you have to be so close that your ear has to be close to the person’s mouth.

--We lean in toward a whisper and that is what God wants. The goal of hearing the Father’s voice is not just wanting to hear Him; it’s intimacy with Him.

--That is why God speaks in a whisper. He wants to be as close to us as is divinely possible. He loves us that much so He draws us in with His gentle voice. Biblical example:

Psalm 40:1-3 (NKJV) ¹ I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.
²  He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.
³  He has put a new song in my mouth-- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD. 

--The phrase “He inclined to me” has such a beautiful word picture. Imagine you are in a pit (a pit of death) and your cry is barely a whisper. God bends down close to hear your prayer. Intimacy.

Oswald Chamber – The voice of the Spirit is as gentle as a zephyr. So gentle that unless you are living in perfect communion with God, you never hear it. 

--How many of you are grateful for a gentle God? Our Almighty God could intimidate us with His outside voice but He draws us close with a whisper. And His whisper is the very breath of life. 

2. God’s Whisper Can Change Your Life

--I had only been a Christian for a little while and God had just recently baptized me with Holy Spirit. I was working at the Bastrop Paper Mill. Paper Mills are known for being very loud.

 --This one was extremely loud because it was the oldest in the SE United States. Between the machines and winders, you couldn’t hear anything. You had to yell or use hand signals.

--I was still so excited about my new found life in Christ. In all the noise, I was worshiping God. I remember vividly walking up the steps toward the water fountain.

--I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder. No one there. Hmmm. Again, as I walked, I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder. No one there. Three times and then I remembered Samuel. I prayed.

1 Samuel 3:10 (NIV) ¹⁰ "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." 

--And then a voice. A sweet gentle voice in all the noise and chaos around me I heard the Lord speak to me words from the Apostle Paul…Woe, is me if I preach not the gospel.

1 Corinthians 9:16 (NKJV) ¹⁶ For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!

--Very important to understand this…God’s voice is a whisper but it is also so powerful that it can be heard in all the noise around us. Whatever is going on, you can hear Him.

3. Listen to Holy Spirit.

John 16:7&13 (NIV)
⁷  But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
¹³  But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 

--This is so powerful. Jesus said it is good for you that I am going away. Why? Because Holy Spirit is coming. And when He comes He is going to guide you and speak to you.

--Pastor, can we really hear God’s voice? Jesus said we could and that He would only tell us what He hears from the Father. Do we want to hear from Him and are we willing to take time to listen?

--I had been the YP here for almost two years. The lead pastor is ready to resign and go to the district office. Voices and more voices were telling me what to do.

--The district called and said resign from there and find another church. We will help you. Everyone had an opinion and were not afraid to use it. The Board asked me to submit a resume. What?

--My head was spinning and my heart was confused. I told the Board I had to get away and hear from God. We went to La. and then Ala. I tried praying. Still confused.

--Finally, in Ala. I said I am going walking in the woods and staying until I hear from God. Only thing warm was my LSU sweat suit. Looked like Big Bird. I prayed for two hours. Cold!

--Finally, came to two giant oak trees and there it was. There He was with His still small voice. So gentle.

‘’Rick, I have anointed you to pastor Leesburg First Assembly of God. Just allow Holy Spirit to do whatever He wants to do, whenever He wants to do it.” I said, “Yes, Lord.”

--We came back and I told the Board I wanted to pastor the church. They voted us in and that will be 33 years in January. Thank God for His sweet gentle voice!

"Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." 

We Need Each Other – 4

We Need Each Other – 4

Subject – One Church/Una Familia

By Rick Welborne

John 17:20-23 (NLT2)
²⁰  “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.
²¹  I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
²²  “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one.
²³  I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.

--Today we are continuing the series We Need Each Other. We need the people of Life Church, La Vida Church, and the people who have dedicated themselves to this community. 

--This subject has surely stirred the hearts of our staff and I believe this idea of community is so important especially in these last days. That is what the writer of Hebrews was saying.

Heb.10:24-25 (NCV) ²⁴  Let us think about each other and help each other to show love and do good deeds.
²⁵  You should not stay away from the church meetings, as some are doing, but you should meet together and encourage each other. Do this even more as you see the Day coming.

--These verses go to the very heart of community…we love each other so much that we want to help each other when it comes to living for Jesus. Encourage one another to be faithful. 

--I need Pastor Neftali. I need his passion, his heart, his energy, his love. He needs my heart, my experience, my wisdom from pastoring many years. We need each other. We love each other.

--Community is only lived out when we meet together and worship together. Don’t stay away from church but come to encourage your brothers and sisters. Speak life to one another.

--Do this even more as you see the Day approaching. What Day? The return of Christ! If we believe He is coming soon, we should be getting our hearts ready and helping others do the same.

--Last week we shared about the paralyzed man and how his friends were intentional about getting him to Jesus. Without friends this man never makes it to Jesus. Never finds forgiveness or healing.

--Today, we want to look at Jesus and His love and dedication to this whole idea of community. 

1. Jesus Was in Community with the Trinity from the Beginning of Time. 

John 17:21 & 24 (NLT2) ²¹  I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. 

²⁴  Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! 

--The Father, the Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit have been enjoying beautiful community since before the world began…they are One in everything…love, purpose, unity, mission. They glorify each other.

--Because they are One and because of their constant love for each other, they are always drawing attention not to themselves but to each other.

2. Jesus Was in Community with His Family.

--We all know Jesus was born into the family of Joseph and Mary. Imagine having a son or a brother who is the Son of God. He thinks he is so perfect! Well, yes He does because yes He is!

--There were issues with Jesus in this family community. Remember when He was twelve they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. His parents head home. Not Jesus!

--They went a day’s journey before they realized He was not with them. How do you lose the Son of God? It took them three days to find Him…my parents would have laid hands on me. He was in the temple.

Luke 2:48-51 (NKJV) ⁴⁸  So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously."
⁴⁹  And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?"
⁵⁰  But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.
⁵¹  Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. 

--Let me show you how subject He was to His mother…His first miracle at the wedding in Canaan. 

John 2:1&3-5 (NKJV)
¹  On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
³  And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."
⁴  Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come."
⁵  His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." 

--When we submit to one another in this community called family, blessings and miracles can follow. His mother had the power to bless Him because of His submission (subjection) to her.

3. Jesus Started Building Community with His Disciples. 

Matthew 4:18-22 (NKJV)                                                                                                                                      ¹⁸  And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
¹⁹  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
²⁰  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
²¹  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them,
²²  and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. 

--Jesus had wonderful community with Father and with Holy Spirit but the Trinity wanted more…they wanted their community to expand…to grow and to be built one disciple at a time. 

--I have said over and over that this community (when you start adding people) is not perfect. Thomas doubted, Peter had a big mouth, Judas betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver. Nevertheless:

Matthew 16:18 (NKJV) ¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

--God’s community is built like God’s Kingdom, one soul at a time. Jesus is building the church and He is building a community that can withstand whatever Satan throws at us. One Church/Una Familia!

--Jesus wanted so much to build this community that He gave everything. He laid down His life. He was the seed that was planted to grow the church…the community of God.

John 12:23-24 (NKJV) ²³ …"The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.
²⁴  Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

--Jesus wanted so much for this community of believers to grow that He was willing to die, to be buried, and to be resurrected by the Spirit of God.

--Verse 24, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. Only when it dies does it multiply. Stay with me…

John 12:24 (NLT2) ²⁴  I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.

--We must be willing to die to ourselves for this community to grow. Jesus, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” We need each other. 

--The kernel of grain must be willing to be placed where it will not be visible, where it will have to be willing to get dirty, and has to be willing to die…if it doesn’t die…it doesn’t multiply. 

--If God’s community will grow, it will be because we deny ourselves (serve others), take up our cross, and follow Him. We die to ourselves for the greater good of the community. We need each other. 

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NCV)
²⁴  Let us think about each other and help each other to show love and do good deeds.
²⁵  You should not stay away from the church meetings, as some are doing, but you should meet together and encourage each other. Do this even more as you see the Day coming.

--To speak against this unity, this community, this family, this church, is speaking against the last prayer of Jesus. We need each other.

Learn to Listen - 1

Learn to Listen - 1

Subject – Learning to Hear the Voice of God

By Rick Welborne

1 Samuel 3:1-10 (NIV)
¹  The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.
²  One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place.
³  The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.
⁴  Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, "Here I am."
⁵  And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down.
⁶  Again the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." "My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down."
⁷  Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
⁸  The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy.
⁹  So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
¹⁰  The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." 

--I am fairly confident that most of us if not all of us would agree that it is so important that we listen for and hear the voice of God in these last days.

--I have had people scoff at me about the notion of being able to hear the voice of God but from Genesis to Revelations almost every page has this comment, “God said.” If we believe:

Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV) ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

--We have to believe He is still speaking if He is still the same. Our problem is that we are not listening or spending time in His presence. 

--Notice where Samuel was when he heard the voice of the Lord. Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. He was in the presence of God. Close!

--Dr. Alfred Tomatis (an ear doctor) was working with a famous opera singer who had lost his ability to hit certain notes that were possible previously. Many thought it was a vocal problem.

--Tomatis discovered that the singer had become deafened by the sound of his own voice. Wow! Will that preach. Many will not listen to anyone else because of that.

Dr. Tomatis – The voice can only reproduce what the ear can hear.

1. The Real Problem. 

--Let me step out on a limb and guess that you all have your fair share of problems. Could it be possible that how we are trying to solve our problems is ineffective?

--Maybe that’s because we keep treating the symptoms while ignoring the root cause. A spiritual Tomatis effect. The voice can only reproduce what the ear can hear.

--Is it possible what we perceive to be relational, emotional, and spiritual problems are actually hearing problems. Our ears have been deafened to the voice of God.

--So what is it that we are listening to? What voices are we hearing? It’s our inability to hear God’s voice that causes us to lose our voice and lose our way.

Mark Batterson – Let me make a bold statement: Learning to hear God’s voice is the solution to a thousand problems! It’s also the key to discovering our destiny and fulfilling our potential. His voice is love. His voice is power. His voice is healing. His voice is wisdom. His voice is joy.

--Just maybe if your life is off-key, it’s because you have been deafened by the negative self-talk that doesn’t allow God to get a Word in edgewise. 

--Maybe you have listened to the voice of criticism so long you can’t believe anything else about yourself. Some of us grew up with parents who were constantly telling us what we could not do.

--From a very early age I was told, “Shut up! You are not supposed to be here anyway!” “You are always in trouble!” “You will never amount to anything!”

--After a while you start believing what they are saying is true because it is the only voices you have speaking into your life. The condemnation makes you believe that is who you are. 

--Also, one of Satan’s names is the “Accuser of the brethren.” He accuses us night and day and his condemnation takes a toll on who God wants us to be. Good news!

Romans 8:1-3 (NLT2)
¹  So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
²  And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
³  The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 

--If we are not careful and if we do not silence those voices that are competing for our souls, they will deafen us to the beautiful voice of God. 

--You will not be able to sing God’s song or to speak on His behalf because you have lost your ability to hear His voice. This is why everyone is so hungry for a word. They can’t hear for themselves.

2. The Loudest Voice in Your Life.

--The question. Is God’s voice the loudest voice in your life? If the answer is no, that’s the problem. I love what Jesus says to bring clarity for us. Who was Jesus listening to? What was He doing?

John 12:49-50 (NIV)
⁴⁹  For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.
⁵⁰  I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."

John 5:19 (NIV)
19 "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

--We live in a culture and time when everyone wants to have his or her voice heard but has so little to say. The reason being we do so little listening, especially to God.

Key – The best way to get people to listen to us is for us to listen to God. Why? Because we will have something to say that is worth hearing.

--Jesus said out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks…When we open our mouths we are telling people what we are listening to and what the loudest voice in our lives is.

--As we learn to listen to God and we truly learn to listen to people, we find out what is in God’s heart but we also find out what voices people are listening to.

--Be careful when you listen to people who have so little to say and they gossip about other people because eventually their voice may become your voice. So destructive.

3. All of Us Need to Find Our Voice.

--What do you mean by that, Pastor Rick? By voice, I mean the unique message God wants to speak through our lives. But finding our voice starts with hearing His voice. 

--How important is it to hear His voice? People need Jesus and they need hope. When we learn to listen (because God is still speaking) we can have a voice that will bless others.

--I was kneeling and praying next to my bed and I was praying specifically for my family. My sister had two miscarriages and was so broken she could not have a child. God spoke!

--Get up from your prayer, drive to Ruston, La. (forty miles away) and go to your sister and give her this message. “God says you are pregnant now and you will have a son. Everything will be ok.”

--That’s pretty specific and extremely bold. However, I did what God said. I prayed all the way there and yes, I was nervous. I get to their house and no one is home. Did I hear God or not?

--A note on the door. Very simple. “Gone fishing.” Ok God, I missed your voice. No get in your car and drive. By the way, there are lakes and rivers everywhere in North Louisiana. 

--One lake…Lake D’Arbone was huge with hundreds of ways to access it. Drive toward that lake (15 miles away). Okay! Beautiful lake. Great place to ski and fish.

--Come to a dirt road. Turn here. My car was always clean. Okay. Drive a couple of miles. Y in the road. Turn right. This is crazy. One lane dirt road. Finally, I see the lake and a small fish camp.

--Great man of faith, well, at least I can get a soda. I get out of my car. Ricky! Ricky! Ricky! My sister and brother-in-law had just got into a boat to go fishing! Amazing!

--I delivered his message because I heard His voice. My sister was pregnant (didn’t know), she had a son, and they named him Brandon. Life Church, God is still speaking. Pray to hear His voice.

1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT2) ¹⁰ And the LORD came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.” 

--Before you pray that prayer, a warning, If you aren’t will to hear everything God has to say, you eventually will not hear anything He has to say. 

--If you want to hear His comforting voice, you have to listen to His convicting voice. Often, what we hear is what we least want to hear but it’s what we need to hear.

“Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.”