September 28, 2010 Listening to God 2

"This is my Son, Whom I love. Listen to Him!"

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters, it is a beautiful morning here at the Southern Location of the North Pole. I saw on the news this morning that there is a dinosaur display set up in the Pennsylvania Capitol lobby. The news said that it was 160 million years old. Well, golly, I do think they might be lying some for GOD DID NOT MAKE THIS EARTH THAT LONG AGO. May I suggest that they get out their Bibles and check some facts? Oh, by the way, that Apollo Dinosaur is not the only dinosaur you can find in the Capitol buildings in our State House and also in Washington. (Did you like that one?) I believe that we had dinosaurs, I just can't believe they were that old. Our Bible, God's word, is very clear, before He made the animals, He made the heavens and earth and it is just not that old. So who are we going to believe, God, or some scientist? Now just in case you believe that those animals were around for 160 million years, then what else in the Bible don't you believe? You see for me, you either believe it all, or you don't believe anything. There are churches out there that seem to pick and choose.

Ah, Tuesday, and the day we pray for cures for those diseases like cancer and heart problems, but not limited to just them. We also pray that God gives knowledge to scientists to work on cures if God desires to not send the cure direct. God is good, one way or the other we will take it and we will give all the glory to God... AMEN.

Listening to God 2: Mark 9:7 - Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son whom I love. Listen to Him!" (NIV)

I often wonder if God ever thinks like this or says something like this... Hey you folks... SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME. I mean, we are His children, right, and we are the sheep of His pastures... I ask you this, how often have you ever said to your kids, will you please just shut up and listen to me?

John 10:25 - Jesus answered, "I tell you but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me. 26 But you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, no on can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."

Let's look at the scriptures that God gave me today. In Mark 9:7 which comes out of the scriptures on the Transfiguration, Jesus was meeting with Moses and Elijah, while Peter, James and John were watching all of this. Years ago when I was doing a study to be a lay speaker and lay leader, I was given the Transfiguration to make a sample sermon on. Back then God gave me a different message than He is today. Today the message He is giving me is that we need to listen to Jesus... "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!" Was God the Father telling Moses and Elijah to listen to Him, or was He telling it to Peter, James and John, or, or, or was He telling it to us today? Well since Jesus is the same today as He was back then, I have no problem at all believing He was and is telling us that today. He is telling us just this... "This is my Son, whom I love. LISTEN TO HIM." That, folks, would be as I like to put it, this is orders from headquarters.

Now let's look at the scripture from John 10. Look at verse 27 "My sheep listen to my voice!" Now you folks know this old preacher, or this preacher that is old, can I just put it like I believe it is... Jesus said, "My sheep listen to my voice." so if I said to you this morning "that if a person was not listening to His voice, that person would not be saved," some might say I am judging. Well I am saying it because Jesus is saying it... "My sheep listen to my voice" Let's look back to verse 25; "I tell you, but you do not believe." Could it be said I tell you but you do not listen? Now let's run them together again... I tell you but you do not listen, My sheep listen to my voice. And listen to this... If we listen to Jesus, if we really listen and believe, no one will ever snatch us from His hand.

Folks, tomorrow we are going to get into a different kind of listening. I have been talking about listening to God when He speaks to us. But we need to take a big look at listening to Him when it comes to the rules and laws He gave to us. You know the ones, like loving your neighbors and of course loving God. That's for tomorrow.

I want to make one more example. Right now I have six of our eleven dogs right at my feet, when I go to another room they follow me, and others will join. All but one listen when I call them, the one that does not listen cannot hear. My point, if I, and I am using myself as an example, if I would listen to God as good as my dogs listen to me, I think He would be pleased... Think about that. One more time... "My sheep listen to my voice." ARE YOU LISTENING TO HIS VOICE?

Dear Father in Heaven, help me to listen and listen up good... in Jesus' name, Amen.

Go forth sharing those blessings and listening, I said listening, to God... love ya, Pastor Dan.