Hear the Word of the Lord

June 26, 2011

Introduction

 

            We begin our study this morning with a passage from the Old Testament. (Jer 7:1-7 NKJV)  The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, {2} "Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the LORD!'" {3} Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. {4} "Do not trust in these lying words, saying, 'The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD are these.' {5} "For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, {6} "if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, {7} "then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.

 

            “Hear the Word of the Lord!”  How many ways do we hear the word of the Lord?  We can hear the Word of the Lord as instruction and direction for life.  We can hear the word of the Lord as a warning. We can hear the word of the Lord as our hope.  We can hear the word of the Lord as acceptance and approval.  We can hear the word of the Lord as our final condemnation.  That’s our study this morning.

 

Body

 

I.       Where can we begin our study?

 

  1. While there is life, hearing correctly can make all the difference.

 

1.      The theme of our study this morning.

 

(Jer 7:2} "Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the LORD!'" {3} Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.

 

2.      Hear the word of the Lord

 

(Jer 7:2} "Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the LORD!'"

 

3.      Hear and be willing to correct your life.

 

(Jer 7:3} Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.”

  1. Our hearing needs to be the word of God, and not false teachers.

 

(Jer 7:4) "Do not trust in these lying words, saying, 'The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD are these.'

 

1.      What is the meaning of this rather strange statement.

2.      Some believe that it meant they felt they were safe while the temple was standing and they were “worshipping” God.

 

  1. God had a correction to make:  they needed to live right.

 

(Jer 7:5) "For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, {6} "if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, {7} "then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.

 

II.    The prophet who was to come.

 

  1. Jesus was predicted.

 

(Deu 18:15 NKJV)  "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear,

 

  1. Jesus came, just as predicted.

 

(Acts 3:22-23 NKJV)  "For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. {23} 'And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.'

 

  1. We cannot hear His voice.

 

1.      Those of the Old Testament were never given the opportunity to hear His voice.

2.      We hear His recorded words, so it is our challenge to read and study His words.

 

(2 Tim 2:15 KJV)  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

 

(1 Th 5:21 KJV)  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

 

III.   We can hear the Word of the Lord as instruction and direction for life. 

 

  1. We must have to word of God to live properly.

 

(Prov 3:5-7 NKJV)  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; {6} In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. {7} Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.

 

    1. We are not to look to ourselves for guidance or direction.

 

(Jer 10:23 NKJV)  O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.

 

    1. Without God’s word, it is easy to deceive ourselves.

 

(Jer 17:9-10 NKJV)  "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? {10} I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.

 

  1. The word of God is not to be added to or changed in any way.

 

(Rev 22:18-19 NKJV)  For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; {19} and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

 

IV. What will the end be?

 

(Luke 18:6-8 NKJV)  Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. {7} "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? {8} "I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

 

  1. I never knew you.

 

(Mat 7:21-23 NKJV)  "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. {22} "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' {23} "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

 

  1. Others will hear words of welcome.

 

(Mat 25:23 NKJV)  "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

 

  1. It’s promised to the faithful.

 

(2 Tim 4:8 NKJV)  Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

 

  1. It is worth whatever it cost.

 

(Rom 8:18 NKJV)  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

 

Conclusion

 

I.       We must begin our Christian life with a new birth.

 

(John 3:3 NKJV)  Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

 

II.    We have no righteousness of pled before Him.

 

(Isa 64:6 NKJV)  But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

Scripture quotations marked "NKJV™" are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

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