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Three types of Disciples
1. YES Bros. - Want to show they are eager, but don’t obey, people pleasers
2. SORRY Bros. - Who always promising to change, but remain the same, no brokeness
3. AMEN Bros. - Who listen and obey instructions, they progress
It frustrates us when people are always hearing but never growing and repenting.
Jesus had lot of people following him but they were not eager to OBEY and REPENT.
Matthew 11:15
He who has ears, let him hear.
Matthew 13:9
He who has ears, let him hear.
Matthew 13:43
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
1. God is a good listener
Psaml 34:15
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;
Isaiah 59:1
Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.
John 9:31-33
31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.
32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.
33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
1 John 5:14-15
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
15 And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him.
- God is a good Listener / Being a good listener means you have ears to hear.
- Many times we don’t use our ears even thought we have 2 of them
- Because we are used to telling others what to do – we become bad listeners.
- Good learner is a listener.
- Listen to others instructions / Others challenges / other discipling / learn from others conversations.
- Listening to disciples problems / Listening to slight feeling of weakness /
- When people speak our MIND is searching for EXCUSE or DEFENSE
- Before others finish we start rebuking – That’s Harsh
2. God hates deaf ears
Isaiah 6:10
Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
Isaiah 63
ISA 63 : Why did the people wander – Because they didn’t listen and obey God. GOD performed awesome MIRACLES – but they did get the point.
John 12:40
"He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them."
GOD hardens his heart after sometime.
GOD gets fed-up when there is no sign of repentance.
Ezekial 12:1-2
1 The word of the LORD came to me:
2 "Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.
Jeremiah 7:24
But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.
Some instead of growing they are going backwards. Not because people have not encouraged or challenged them. But because they think WELL – there is LOT of TIME.
Sometimes people don’t hear properly when you speak on the phone. WE keep asking – WHAT, SORRY, PLEASE REPEAT. The reason because our hears are not attentive to listen. Either we are distracted or doing something when others are talking. Should change from a casual attitude to instructions or challenges.
We take a lot of time to repent. We don’t quickly obey and carry out instructions
- We are told to do something – BUT – we are still FELLOWSHIPPING
- Sorry – I’LL do it. - Hearts are not there
- NEED TO LEAVE EVERYTHING AND DO IT FIRST.
3. How then to listen
James 1:19
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
Everyone should be quick to listen.
1 John 4:6
We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
- He who remembers and ponders them in his mind
- He is restless till the work is done completely
2 Timothy 4:2-5
2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.
3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
Men will reject the truth and accept a lie
Let us listen and PAY ATTENTION to others so we can change quickly.
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