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Text: Luke 8:16-21
Family is very important. God’s family is very important. God’s family and God’s kingdom is spiritual in nature. It is not biological in nature. Anyone becoming a part of God’s family must do so on the basis of something spiritual. What is that spiritual thing? It is through hearing and doing what God said. This is how people become related to God. The last thing God said was Jesus Christ. He is the Word made flesh.
Jesus was told that his mother and brothers were there to see him. Jesus says, My mother and my brothers are they which hear the word of God and do it.
How you hear God’s words determines who you are. (John 10:27-28) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. This is about listening to God’s words because it determines who you are.
Intention
- No one turns on the light to cover up the bulb. You turn on the light because you want the effects of the light. You want to see.
- The LORD Jesus had an incredible way of getting to the heart of people and making them ask the question of why they are doing what they’re doing. Then to have their hypocrisy exposed and confronted. And he’d do all that with some everyday, simple, example. Someone turning on a light becomes a “duh” moment of why wouldn’t you listen to the words of God?!
- Hearing the LORD speak intentionally means to:
- Hear attentively
- Hear honestly
- Hear with empathy
- Hear believingly
The test is what’s done with God’s words
- What’s unseen has a way of becoming seen. Those motives that no one sees have a way of coming to the surface and eventually exposing themselves.
- People hiding things act weird
- They get mad when they’re having trouble hiding things in their lives.
- They accuse other people when they’re having trouble hiding things in their lives.
- Hebrews 4:11-13
- You need to be familiar enough with God’s word to know what to do
- Doing what you know to do is more difficult thing.
- (James 1:22) But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Instruction
- Why take heed?
- B/C it’s the words of God.
- If there was ever any words to listen to, these would probably be them.
- If there was ever anyone to listen to. The Creator is someone to listen to.B/C these words are the words you’ll be judged by
- People ask why doesn’t God reveal Himself and the answer really is that He has in multiple ways including flesh and blood.
- It’s very clear that the universe, creation, does not have a physical origin. It at some point the material became the material, but trying to condense God into a piece of wood or stone is like opening a Coke can and looking for the Creator of Coke. Or opening a can of Pepsi and trying to find the machines, chemicals, and recipes for Pepsi within the can. It’s pretty clear that the Creator of Pepsi doesn’t live in the can. And it’s pretty clear that what it took to make that can of Coke isn’t inside the can.
- B/C these you won’t always be able to hear
- B/C it defines who you are.
- Redefining family in spiritual terms
- God’s people are defined by how they hear the voice of their Shepherd.
- Let’s finish this how we started. This can’t be emphasized enough. How you hear God’s words determines if you’re in God’s family or not. (John 10:27-28) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. This is about listening to God’s words because it determines who you are.
