9 - Be a Hearer and a Doer of God’s Word
“LET THE ONE WHO HAS EARS LISTEN” (6 mins)
Masaba - "seen a great number of icebergs"
Cruise ship - not important / Titanic / 1500 died
Hear? Listen and act?
Great effect what we listen to
Noise of world
Hear ✅ Listen ❌
Hearing = passive. listening active
Advice - Mt 11:15
Jesus repeatedly urged the crowds who heard him to listen
Many today have heard at least some of the Bible’s message, but as in Jesus’ day, relatively few pay attention
Us? Vital.
We must look to God’s Word for guidance in all matters
So, are you a hearer and a doer of God's word?
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HEARERS MUST ALSO BECOME DOERS OF THE WORD (7 mins)
Peer - Stoop / concentrated effort.
Watch / look again!
Appreciation for Jehovah and divine teaching provides motivation to make changes
Fuel - more add / further you go
With help from God’s spirit, we can overcome strongly entrenched practices
Completely change = effort / worth it?
Because she lived in a remote part of the country, special arrangements had to be made. Though Valdira owned a mobile phone, the only place where she could receive a strong signal was in a field far from her home. Moreover, Valdira could study only after nine o’clock in the evening. Imagine the scene: A young woman sitting alone in a field at night using a mobile phone to have a Bible study by candlelight.
Valdira listens to the Sunday meetings on her phone as well. She goes to the field with her Bible, her Watchtower, and her songbook to listen in. When it is raining, she also brings her umbrella.
In March, Valdira travelled some 60 miles to the local Kingdom Hall to attend the special meeting where the revised Portuguese New World Translation was released. She loved receiving a copy of the new Bible. When commended for all her efforts to study the Bible, Valdira said, “Oh, it is not all that difficult!”
Not difficult? Loved what she was learning!
Happy - effort - DOER & HEARER
To enjoy Kingdom blessings, we cannot do merely what we think is pleasing to God
Whose opinion is more important? Ours or Gods?
Babysitter illustration ⁉
Not what we think / Jehovah thinks.
It is not sufficient merely to take in Bible knowledge; we must apply what we learn [Read James 1:25]
DOERS OF THE WORD SHARE THE KINGDOM MESSAGE WITH OTHERS (8 mins)
John 18:37 CONTEXT
Hearer & doer?
Jesus said that he came into the world to “bear witness to the truth”
He was commissioned by his Father to proclaim and teach God’s Word
He went throughout Galilee and Judea teaching and making disciples of appreciative hearers
Not just for him... Acts 1:8 CONTEXT
Imagine being there! / what a commission!
10 days later... 120 new disciples HS / 3000 baptised!
Persecution.. helped!
100 years > Christianity spread incredible. WHY?
All over world? US!
Best way to show we are a doer?
Jesus compared those who hear the Kingdom message and respond favorably to “fine soil”
Such ones ‘bear fruit and produce,’ that is, they also become Kingdom proclaimers
Sharing in the preaching of the good news is an essential part of doing God’s will
Today, Jehovah’s Witnesses are fulfilling Jesus’ command to proclaim God’s Kingdom
More urgent that ever!
Give him your best?
“PAY ATTENTION TO HOW YOU LISTEN” (6 mins)
Despite the urgency of our times, it is possible to fall into the trap of becoming “hearers only”
Heb 5:11
Dull = distracted
Titanic. All the internal radios broken so all the operators were overwhelmed with transcribing messages and hand delivering them to individual passengers.
Take advantage of all provisions Jehovah makes through his organization for our spiritual welfare
Jesus actively leads the Christian congregation; he uses “the faithful and discreet slave” to provide spiritual food
Prepare & attend meeting Heb 10:25
Meal illustration - invite rejected - feel?
Prepare!
READ BIBLE EVERY DAY Ps 1
Leave house without clothes?
Wouldn’t go a day without food, wouldn’t go a day without spiritual food
Family worhsip & personal study
By continuing to make full use of these provisions, we ‘pay attention to how we listen’
Full use? Study meditate apply
recipe / oven / eat!!
THOSE WHO APPLY GOD’S WORD WILL BE BLESSED (3 mins)
Summary = mt 7:13, 14 = two gates = two outcomes
Advice? :24
Firm foundation - withstand.
Easy routine of min / study / work / obligations - NO!
Worth it? YES
We don’t want to be like that radio operator on the Titanic. He heard, but he didn’t do anything!
Listen - saved from pain of world
Jeh promises ev. life
Do you want to live forever? All you need to do is listen to Jehovah’s words and become a doer of his loving commands!
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PICS
Countdown clock at meetings
click to edit
"My conviction that Jehovah is with me rises and falls with the quality of my bible study and prayer"
Satan knows that deep thinking leads to Jehovah. That's why there's so many distractions!