We all want to hear personally what God is saying to us. We fill prophetic gatherings and crusades alike because it is important for us to hear God’s voice but if we have to be honest, it is the one area that many people battle with the most. Many people don’t know how to hear the voice of God or want to hear more from God, and if that is you, be encouraged.
I. DECIDE TO HEAR
The first part of my title I want you to focus on is the art of hearing. What do I mean by art… For everyone that does not know, I love coffee. When a barista makes an amazing cup of coffee, he starts operating his machine to get the temperature just right, and the precise time for the water to run through to get the right amount of crema, getting the perfect body of coffee, and we say that cup of coffee becomes a work of art. Why? Because he has invested time and energy to learn those skills and has become an artisan in that specific field. And this is the same for any skill. When you learn a new skill you prioritize your time around it until you become a master.
So when I say that hearing is an art, I want you to understand that hearing is first of all a skill that requires you to invest time and energy in. Because it is a skill, you can learn it. Now you might say to me “Johan, I have been hearing fine from a young age what do you mean I have to learn to hear?” And I am so glad you asked me that question…
You see, throughout the Gospels we read a consistent and repetitive statement Jesus made while teaching. The words seemed to be a “go-to” phrase for Him: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 13:9 NKJV)
I want you to see that Jesus didn’t say, “he that has ears,” because that would be almost everyone. He specifically said, “ears to hear.” What is the difference? People who have ears to hear, have made a decision to listen and invest time and energy into understanding what Jesus is saying. They prioritize His words and teachings, and put those things into practice. So the first point I want you to take away from today is that you need to make a decision to hear. Decide to make it a skill and then go and practice that skill.
The dictionary definition for the word “hear” is to be capable of perceiving sound by the ear, to have the faculty of perceiving sound vibrations. It is also to receive information or become aware of information by the ear or otherwise.
Synonyms for the word “hear” are: Attend, Get, Listen, Overhear, Apprehend, Catch and for those who still love the KJV, Hark or Hearken.
Antonyms for the word “hear” are: Miss, Misunderstand, Overlook, Ignore.
So if you look at the words “apprehend” and “ignore”, hearing becomes much more than just the perception of sound.
In the Old Testament, the main word used for “Hear” is the word shamah, and means to hear intelligently, attentively, to consider, to discern, to give ear, to hear, to listen, and in a more intense form, to be obedient, to obey, to perceive, to regard, to understand. This word occurs 1158 times in the Old Testament.
Genesis 3:8 (NKJV) “And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…”
Other Hebrew words for “hear” are:
- shema – to hear, to obey, used exlusively in the book of Daniel
Daniel 3:5 (NKJV) “that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up”
- azan – to expand, to broaden out the ear with the hand, to listen (hearken)
Genesis 4:23 (NKJV) “Then Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech!”
- shamar – to hedge about, to guard, to keep, to observe, to regard, to protect what is heard (heed)
Exodus 20:6 (NKJV) “but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
This is a very important verse to help us understand, because God does not show mercy to people who simply write down the commandments and keep them hidden safe somewhere like a special treasure. Mercy is shown to people who love Him and “keep”, in other words they hear, they understand, and they actually do what God is commanding.
In the New Testament the word for hear is the word akouo and means to hear (in various senses), to give (in the) audience (of), come (to the ears), ([shall]) hear (-er, -ken), be noised, be reported, understand. This word occurs 437 times in the New Testament.
Matthew 7:26 (NKJV) “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand”
Other Greek words for hear include:
- eisakouo (5x) – to hear, to listen
1 Corinthians 14:21 (NKJV) “In the law it is written: “WITH MEN OF OTHER TONGUES AND OTHER LIPS I WILL SPEAK TO THIS PEOPLE; AND YET, FOR ALL THAT, THEY WILL NOT HEAR ME,” says the Lord.”
- akoe (24x) – hearing (the act, the sense or the thing heard), ear, fame, preached
Matthew 13:14 (NKJV) “And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘HEARING YOU WILL HEAR AND SHALL NOT UNDERSTAND, AND SEEING YOU WILL SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE;“
Romans 10:17 (NKJV) “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
So hearing is an important function in this world we are living in. It is one of the five senses by which we experience this world and also the primary way we get to build our faith. When Jesus taught the masses He often said to the crowd: “You have heard”. For example:
Matthew 5:21 (NKJV) “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’”
So Jesus took the Word that the people have heard before, and took away the deception or religion that was cast onto the Word and replaced their perception with the Truth. The crowds then had the opportunity to decide whether they want to hear what Jesus had to say, and invest time and energy developing that Word, and cultivating it until it to maturity.
Jesus knew that whether it was 500 people gathered on a hillside, 50 by the lakeside, or 5 at a dinner table, not everyone would …
… care to hear what He had to say.
… understand what He had to say.
… act on what He had to say. He was always preaching to the minority. Because only a few would really decide to care, understand and act on what He had to say.
Let me give you an example. John and James were two of Jesus’ disciples.
Mark 3:17 (NKJV) “James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder“;
Jesus gave them this name because they were wild. They absolutely believed in the power of Jesus, and when a town didn’t want Jesus to enter it they asked Jesus if they can command fire to come down and destroy it.
Luke 9:54-56 (NKJV) “And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.”
John however decided to hear what Jesus had to say. He invested time and energy, almost 3 years, to understand what Jesus had taught. And in doing so He became the beloved disciple that spoke more about love in his letters than any other epistle because the love of Jesus changed him. And his gospel is not just a recollection of facts like the other gospels, there is a deeper understanding of who Jesus is. Oh and he also authored the book of revelation, showing just how much revelation can come through a simple decision to hear from God.
If you want to hear from God, you have to also make a decision to listen, spend the time and energy on that until you become good at it, but there is a second element to my message, the Heart of Hearing. Hearing from God is not about the condition of your ears, it’s about the condition of your heart, and one of the biggest obstacles we need to overcome is distractions. We need to Deal with Distraction.
II. DEAL WITH DISTRACTION
Luke 10:40-42 (NLT) “But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Picture this scenario. Jesus just arrives at your house with his twelve disciples with Him. They need to have their feet washed, to be made comfortable, and to have a meal prepared for them. A respectable host in the ancient world would extend all of these courtesies to his or her guests but the impression here, however, is that Martha was overdoing it. She wanted to do something extra special for Jesus, but she let herself get to the point where she was worrying, overworked, and unable to enjoy these guests.
We can often be just like Martha, while she was attempting to serve Jesus, she did not understand or attend to Jesus’ reason for being there. Jesus did not blame Martha for being busy but He did want her to understand that because she was so upset, she was not making time for what was most important. Jesus wanted Martha to rearrange her priorities.
It is possible that our serving can become just busy work that is no longer full of devotion to God. We can become so distracted that we don’t listen to His voice, it is about maintaining the balance.
Let me take you to another portion of well-known Scripture so we can deal with these distractions a little deeper.
Mark 4:3-8 (NKJV) “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!“
The disciples didn’t understand this parable so Jesus explained it to them afterwards. The story reveals people’s various responses to the seed, which is the Word of God, and the types of soil is the heart condition of mankind. The Amplified Bible says it beautifully – Mark 4:15 (AMPC) “The ones along the path are those who have the Word sown [in their hearts].“
- Distracted by information
Mark 4:15 (NLT) “The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away.“
The word for footpath or way side is hodos which means a main road, a high way. It is a path that has had lots of traffic, and the path has become hard. You can take that seed and throw it as hard as you can, it won’t even make a dent in that path. Satan, just like the birds, comes immediately and takes it away.
Perhaps such person feel no need for a word in their heart, no desire for anything other than what this life has to offer, perhaps pride has left them with no sense of guilt or need of forgiveness. Satan has no trouble with these people. I used to think these people were like atheists, but sadly it’s not.
I have seen bible believing people, who confess Jesus and are spirit filled, even clapping hands while worship. But they sit with unforgiveness, or battle with tithing, or they battle with a sickness or addiction and they don’t want to change. You can give them all the Word they need, but they refuse to change their hearts or opinions on the matter.
- Distracted by problems
Mark 4:16 (NLT) “The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.“
These people receive the and like the promises offered by God. They initially show some promise of growth. These people understand some of the basics but do not allow God’s truth to work its way into their souls and make a difference in their lives—their roots don’t go very deep and thus they wilt. When trouble comes, they fall away. Again, these are not just baby Christians, Peter walked on water until he started focusing on the waves!
- Distracted by worries
Mark 4:18-19 (NLT) “The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.“
These people hear and accept God’s Word and allow it to take root in their hearts, giving hope of a harvest. But “thorns” grow up and choke out the growing seed. Distractions rob these people of time to reflect on and digest God’s word in order to grow from it, as well as robbing guidance and support from interaction with other Christians. Jesus described the thorns: cares of this life, lure of wealth, and desire for nice things. Worldly cares, the false sense of security brought on by prosperity, and the desire for material things still distracts us today. Daily routines overcrowd and materialistic pursuits distract these people so they don’t bear fruit.
- The undistracted heart
Mark 4:20 (NLT) “And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
The last group of people are those who hear and accept God’s word, and then they start to produce. You see God never gave us His word to make us smarter, He gave us His word to change our lives. When you decide to hear what God is saying and you spend the time and energy to understand what He is saying to you, God’s Word starts to penetrate your heart and soul and requires you to do something about it.
That brings me to my final point, we need to be Doers of the Word.
III. DOERS OF THE WORD
James 1:22 (NKJV) “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.“
Up until this point, we have made a decision to hear from God, and spend more time in His word. We have also decided to look more closely to our heart condition so that we are able to receive the Word from God. Why do we have to do something about it? I am so glad you are asking me all these questions!
Somebody once said that if you want to get rich, start a religion. But allow me to define the word “belief system” for a moment. A belief system is a mental and spiritual state of mind from which you derive some or all of your rules and principles for living. This could be a philosophy or a religion. Typically it involves some kind of god, but may just be a manner of how one thinks and approaches life. In fact, atheism (the belief that there is no god) and agnosticism (someone who is neutral to the concept of a god) are also belief systems.
And all past, present, and future belief systems have the same pattern: as a nonbeliever you are ignorant of the necessary knowledge needed to be enlightened. So you must hear and receive the information, which is then either rejected or received.
Reception of the information can become revelation which is the full acceptance of the belief system as personal truth. Reception ends the ignorance. Revelation begins the belief. Most belief systems end here. Once you have received and accepted the information and are enlightened, you are officially in the club with a head full of knowledge!
But Jesus came along and added another step, a new step. Consider this: How do you know if something is true in your life or in someone else’s? Can you see belief? Of course not. But you can see obedience to the belief, the action following the motivation. You can see the knowledge carried out into action. James expressed the concept of ignorance to application perfectly:
James 1:22 (NLT) “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”
Christianity established itself as a belief system that required another step past knowledge, actual obedience. This step of action demands much more of our lives. We must think differently than simply being a religious person who must follow rules.
Here’s a great example of Jesus offering the command and explaining the application:
John 13:34–35 (MSG) “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples, when they see the love you have for each other.”
Simply reading, even studying, God’s word does not profit us if we do not obey what it says. We listen to God’s message not just to know it, but also to do it. We would be fooling ourselves to congratulate ourselves about knowledge of Scripture if that’s all there is to it. Worthwhile knowledge is a prelude to action; God’s word can only grow in the soil of obedience. In order for a lesson to make a difference in a student’s life, it must enter the heart and mind, affecting his or her life. It is important to hear God’s word, but it is much more important to obey it. We can measure the effectiveness of our Bible study time by the effect it has on our behavior and attitudes. Do we put into action what we have studied?
