Hear, Hear
Sermon
From This Day Forward
First Lesson Sermons For Lent/Easter
A woman went to see a divorce lawyer. Frantically she told him, "I must have a divorce from my husband immediately!" The lawyer asked, "Do you have any grounds?" "Yes, about five acres." "I mean, do you have a grudge?" the lawyer questioned. "No, just a carport."
Then the lawyer asked, "Does he beat you up?" "No," the woman replied, "I get up before he does." Exasperated, the attorney demanded, "Madam, why do you want a divorce from your husband?"
"Because it is impossible to communicate with that man!"
Question: How well do we hear God's voice? This text is a call to get the earwax out of our ears, perhaps to get a hearing aid, cup our hand over our ears at least, and listen intently to what God is saying!
It's a spectacular story with miracles galore. How did they happen? God was acting behind the scenes to make sure what he wanted done got done. First, God spoke to Philip and told him where to go. Next there was a pool of water on a dry, desert road right when they needed it. Third, Philip didn't get to rejoice with the new Christian because he was "energized" to another town immediately after the baptism.
Ah, but there was another miracle: how did Philip keep up with the chariot pulled by an animal? Perhaps he had Elijah-endurance so he could make a spiritual difference in the lonely man who was traveling on the super-highway of the day from Jerusalem to Egypt.
Who is this eunuch? He was probably an interesting fellow who may have been a proselyte who had been circumcised because he was tired of the loose morals and the many gods of the Gentiles and had found out that Judaism gave life meaning. Or this unnamed man did not proselytize, but attended Jewish synagogues and read Jewish Scripture. He was called a God-fearer.
We do know that the eunuch was an important and influential person who was a representative of the queen from the present country of Sudan. We know that he was hungry. He was hungry to learn about God, and he had questions.
When God unites a listening ear (Philip) and a hungry heart (the eunuch), God does even more miracles!
I see God's voice at least three times in this text. In verse 26, the angel tells Philip generally where to go. In verse 29, the Spirit says more specifically to Philip, who had his radar on high, what person to speak to. And in verses 32 and 35, the Holy Spirit is wooing the eunuch to faith in the Messiah.
How well do we listen to God? Do we hear his voice speaking to us through the Bible? Can we hear his nudges when we pray? Are we in tune with his Spirit enough to know when he is impressing something upon us -- to stop, to go, to turn, to speak up? Do we hear God's voice in the godly advice from fellow Christians? Are we obedient to these directions from God?
What gives us dull ears? Why don't we hear as well as we should? Is it sinful wax or congenital hard of hearing? Or is it a combination of many things? Dr. Jesus is looking in your ears even as you hear these words and asking about what is causing your ear problems:
¥ Is it because you're too busy and don't take time to listen to his Love Letter?
¥ Is it because you are afraid you won't hear him right?
¥ Is it because you don't really know God, so how can you know his voice?
¥ Is it rebellion? You hear him, but you don't want to follow through?
¥ Are all the other voices in the world drowning out the voice of the One who loves you most?
On this fifth Sunday of Easter God is speaking to each of us about listening to him and letting him match us up with hungry, God-starved hearts. When we listen to his gentle urgings, we will find that there are many eunuchs in the world who know about Jesus, but don't know him personally. How can they unless someone explains to them? God will use you right where you are and help you and he together to tell the world about Jesus.
It was the seventh game of the 1962 World Series. The San Francisco Giants had a man on second base, which put him near New York Yankee second baseman Bobby Richardson. When the Yankees decided to change pitchers, Richardson, who was a Christian, saw a unique opportunity. While the new pitcher was warming up, he walked over to the man on second and asked him if he knew Jesus as his Savior.
When the runner reached the dugout later, he asked teammate Felipe Alou, who also was a Christian, what was going on. "Even in the seventh game of the World Series," he said to Felipe, "you people are still talking about Jesus." Like Philip, Bobby Richardson heard God's voice and responded.
Here is a true story that occurred a few years ago at the University of Southern California. There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply committed atheist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester attempting to prove that God couldn't exist. His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic.
For twenty years he had taught this class and no one had ever had the courage to go against him. Some had argued in class at times, but no one had ever really challenged him. Nobody would speak against his belief because he had a reputation.
At the end of every semester, on the last day, he would say to his class of 300 students. "If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!" In twenty years, no one had ever stood up. They knew what he was going to do next. He would continue, "Because anyone who does believe in God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove that he is God, and yet he can't do it." And every year he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces. All of the students could do nothing but stop and stare. Most of the students were convinced that God couldn't exist. Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through, but for twenty years, they had been too afraid to stand up.
Well, a few years ago, there was a freshman who happened to get enrolled in the class. He was a committed Christian and had heard stories about this professor. He had to take the class because it was one of the required classes for his major. And he was afraid. But for three months that semester, he prayed every morning that he would have the courage to stand up no matter what the professor said or what the class thought.
Finally the day came. The professor said, "If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!" The professor and the class of 300 people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back of the classroom. The professor shouted, "You fool! If God existed, he could keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!" He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleats of his pants, down his leg, and off his shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled away, unbroken.
The professor's jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked up at the young man and then ran out of the lecture hall. The young man who had stood up proceeded to walk to the front of the room and share his faith in Jesus for the next half-hour. All the students stayed and listened as he told of God's love for them and of his power through Jesus!
I believe Philip and the eunuch give us God's plan in witnessing as we listen to the Spirit:
1. Listen to what God says and act on it: When God nudges you to speak to someone or go somewhere, do it! It's a process of learning to listen to the Spirit through the Word and in our spirit controlled by him. Listen and act even if it seems unlikely. The angel led Philip away from a hotbed of witness opportunities to a seemingly inappropriate place: a deserted road. God cares for a single convert, no matter how hard or opposed to God he might be. When God says, "Go," go!
2. Ask thought-provoking questions: If you don't know what else to say, ask a meaningful, spiritual question or play off something they just said to ask a question related to it. All Philip asked was what God gave him, "Do you understand what you are reading?" I can guarantee that people are more ready to talk about spiritual things than we are ready to initiate it. Dr. Waylon Moore encourages us in witnessing "never to presuppose a negative response" in speaking to people about Jesus!
3. Listen to them and then answer them with Jesus: You don't have to have all the answers. Just listen and then tell them about what the Bible says about Jesus. "Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus." Philip hadn't had years of training or school; Christianity had just begun. But he knew and had experienced Jesus. So he listened and then testified. The eunuch knew God, but now he knew Jesus!
4. Don't make it harder than it is: Obviously Philip told him more specifics than we have recorded because the hungry eunuch knew enough to ask to be baptized. But he had faith and he wanted to fulfill God's wishes for him, so he asked to be baptized. "Why shouldn't I be baptized?" Yes, why not? God had done his job in giving faith. Let's not add any more than Scripture does to give people assurance of faith!
5. Keep at it: Philip had the privilege of baptizing a new Christian, but he didn't get to see the eunuch grow up spiritually. That's okay, Philip just kept on doing what God was calling him to do: "preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea." Don't give up. Every day ask God to help you find a eunuch!
Each morning as you put in your spiritual hearing aids, be sure you turn them loud enough to hear God say to you what he said to his Son at his baptism: "You are my beloved child. I love you and I am well pleased with you!" Ooh, I like that. Now I can take on the world for Jesus!
Then the lawyer asked, "Does he beat you up?" "No," the woman replied, "I get up before he does." Exasperated, the attorney demanded, "Madam, why do you want a divorce from your husband?"
"Because it is impossible to communicate with that man!"
Question: How well do we hear God's voice? This text is a call to get the earwax out of our ears, perhaps to get a hearing aid, cup our hand over our ears at least, and listen intently to what God is saying!
It's a spectacular story with miracles galore. How did they happen? God was acting behind the scenes to make sure what he wanted done got done. First, God spoke to Philip and told him where to go. Next there was a pool of water on a dry, desert road right when they needed it. Third, Philip didn't get to rejoice with the new Christian because he was "energized" to another town immediately after the baptism.
Ah, but there was another miracle: how did Philip keep up with the chariot pulled by an animal? Perhaps he had Elijah-endurance so he could make a spiritual difference in the lonely man who was traveling on the super-highway of the day from Jerusalem to Egypt.
Who is this eunuch? He was probably an interesting fellow who may have been a proselyte who had been circumcised because he was tired of the loose morals and the many gods of the Gentiles and had found out that Judaism gave life meaning. Or this unnamed man did not proselytize, but attended Jewish synagogues and read Jewish Scripture. He was called a God-fearer.
We do know that the eunuch was an important and influential person who was a representative of the queen from the present country of Sudan. We know that he was hungry. He was hungry to learn about God, and he had questions.
When God unites a listening ear (Philip) and a hungry heart (the eunuch), God does even more miracles!
I see God's voice at least three times in this text. In verse 26, the angel tells Philip generally where to go. In verse 29, the Spirit says more specifically to Philip, who had his radar on high, what person to speak to. And in verses 32 and 35, the Holy Spirit is wooing the eunuch to faith in the Messiah.
How well do we listen to God? Do we hear his voice speaking to us through the Bible? Can we hear his nudges when we pray? Are we in tune with his Spirit enough to know when he is impressing something upon us -- to stop, to go, to turn, to speak up? Do we hear God's voice in the godly advice from fellow Christians? Are we obedient to these directions from God?
What gives us dull ears? Why don't we hear as well as we should? Is it sinful wax or congenital hard of hearing? Or is it a combination of many things? Dr. Jesus is looking in your ears even as you hear these words and asking about what is causing your ear problems:
¥ Is it because you're too busy and don't take time to listen to his Love Letter?
¥ Is it because you are afraid you won't hear him right?
¥ Is it because you don't really know God, so how can you know his voice?
¥ Is it rebellion? You hear him, but you don't want to follow through?
¥ Are all the other voices in the world drowning out the voice of the One who loves you most?
On this fifth Sunday of Easter God is speaking to each of us about listening to him and letting him match us up with hungry, God-starved hearts. When we listen to his gentle urgings, we will find that there are many eunuchs in the world who know about Jesus, but don't know him personally. How can they unless someone explains to them? God will use you right where you are and help you and he together to tell the world about Jesus.
It was the seventh game of the 1962 World Series. The San Francisco Giants had a man on second base, which put him near New York Yankee second baseman Bobby Richardson. When the Yankees decided to change pitchers, Richardson, who was a Christian, saw a unique opportunity. While the new pitcher was warming up, he walked over to the man on second and asked him if he knew Jesus as his Savior.
When the runner reached the dugout later, he asked teammate Felipe Alou, who also was a Christian, what was going on. "Even in the seventh game of the World Series," he said to Felipe, "you people are still talking about Jesus." Like Philip, Bobby Richardson heard God's voice and responded.
Here is a true story that occurred a few years ago at the University of Southern California. There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply committed atheist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester attempting to prove that God couldn't exist. His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic.
For twenty years he had taught this class and no one had ever had the courage to go against him. Some had argued in class at times, but no one had ever really challenged him. Nobody would speak against his belief because he had a reputation.
At the end of every semester, on the last day, he would say to his class of 300 students. "If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!" In twenty years, no one had ever stood up. They knew what he was going to do next. He would continue, "Because anyone who does believe in God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove that he is God, and yet he can't do it." And every year he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces. All of the students could do nothing but stop and stare. Most of the students were convinced that God couldn't exist. Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through, but for twenty years, they had been too afraid to stand up.
Well, a few years ago, there was a freshman who happened to get enrolled in the class. He was a committed Christian and had heard stories about this professor. He had to take the class because it was one of the required classes for his major. And he was afraid. But for three months that semester, he prayed every morning that he would have the courage to stand up no matter what the professor said or what the class thought.
Finally the day came. The professor said, "If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!" The professor and the class of 300 people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back of the classroom. The professor shouted, "You fool! If God existed, he could keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!" He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleats of his pants, down his leg, and off his shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled away, unbroken.
The professor's jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked up at the young man and then ran out of the lecture hall. The young man who had stood up proceeded to walk to the front of the room and share his faith in Jesus for the next half-hour. All the students stayed and listened as he told of God's love for them and of his power through Jesus!
I believe Philip and the eunuch give us God's plan in witnessing as we listen to the Spirit:
1. Listen to what God says and act on it: When God nudges you to speak to someone or go somewhere, do it! It's a process of learning to listen to the Spirit through the Word and in our spirit controlled by him. Listen and act even if it seems unlikely. The angel led Philip away from a hotbed of witness opportunities to a seemingly inappropriate place: a deserted road. God cares for a single convert, no matter how hard or opposed to God he might be. When God says, "Go," go!
2. Ask thought-provoking questions: If you don't know what else to say, ask a meaningful, spiritual question or play off something they just said to ask a question related to it. All Philip asked was what God gave him, "Do you understand what you are reading?" I can guarantee that people are more ready to talk about spiritual things than we are ready to initiate it. Dr. Waylon Moore encourages us in witnessing "never to presuppose a negative response" in speaking to people about Jesus!
3. Listen to them and then answer them with Jesus: You don't have to have all the answers. Just listen and then tell them about what the Bible says about Jesus. "Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus." Philip hadn't had years of training or school; Christianity had just begun. But he knew and had experienced Jesus. So he listened and then testified. The eunuch knew God, but now he knew Jesus!
4. Don't make it harder than it is: Obviously Philip told him more specifics than we have recorded because the hungry eunuch knew enough to ask to be baptized. But he had faith and he wanted to fulfill God's wishes for him, so he asked to be baptized. "Why shouldn't I be baptized?" Yes, why not? God had done his job in giving faith. Let's not add any more than Scripture does to give people assurance of faith!
5. Keep at it: Philip had the privilege of baptizing a new Christian, but he didn't get to see the eunuch grow up spiritually. That's okay, Philip just kept on doing what God was calling him to do: "preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea." Don't give up. Every day ask God to help you find a eunuch!
Each morning as you put in your spiritual hearing aids, be sure you turn them loud enough to hear God say to you what he said to his Son at his baptism: "You are my beloved child. I love you and I am well pleased with you!" Ooh, I like that. Now I can take on the world for Jesus!
