1. Listening to God Pastor Nathan Weller August 27, 2017
Series: Face Time

3. "We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God.
The world is crowded with him."
-C.S. Lewis-

5. After calling on God, we need to make sure we listen for his answer.

7. Isaiah 55.1-3a (ESV) 1 “Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread... (cont’d)
Isaiah a (ESV)

8. ...and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live...
Isaiah a (ESV)

10. Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
Mark 4.9 (NLT)

12. 9 And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10 he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ 11 Now the parable is this:
The seed is the word of God. 12 The ones along the
path are those who have heard; then the devil comes
and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they
may not believe and be saved. (cont’d)
Luke (NLT)

13. 13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.
14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked
by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their
fruit does not mature. 15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an
honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
Luke (NLT)

15. Listening involves
the heart

17. Proverbs 2.1-2 (ESV) 1 My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding
Proverbs (ESV)

19. 9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it
9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For
the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant,
thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with
the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand
on the mount before the Lord.” And behold... (cont’d)
1st Kings (ESV)

20. ...the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore
the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the
wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the
Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of
a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped
his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
1st Kings (ESV)

22. we listen first and foremost to the word of God
When we listen to God,
we listen first and foremost to the word of God

24. his best today rather than on his past glories. “I’ll never
“What’s the point?” I asked Steve, who was once an Olympian U.S. record holder, but focuses on coaching
his best today rather than on his past glories. “I’ll never
be buff. I’m not going around trying to catch a guy.
All this work isn’t even particularly making me look
any different. Why bother?”
Steve smiled and shrugged and said, “You work out
now so when you’re old and fall out of your wheelchair, you’ll have the upper body strength to... (cont’d)

25. ...drag yourself to the telephone to call for help.”
Oh, great. I wanted sleekness now, not self-sufficiency
in my old age. But that’s what this painful accumulation
of instructions about when to pray what amounts to: predictability. Perseverance.”
-Carol Bonomo, The Abbey Up the Hill-

27. Waiting on God is a key part of listening to God

29. 9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it
9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts.
For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant,
thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with
the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek
my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and
stand on the mount before the Lord.”
1st Kings a (ESV)

31. Listening takes effort--eliminate distractions

33. 11 And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and
strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was
not in the earthquake.12 And after the earthquake a fire,
but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the
sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard
it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and
stood at the entrance of the cave.
1st Kings (ESV)

35. left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” (cont’d)
9 There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have
broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one
left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” (cont’d)
1st Kings (NLT)

36. 11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,”
the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain.
It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the
wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not
in the earthquake. 12 And after the... (cont’d)
1st Kings (NLT)

37. ...earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not
in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of
a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1st Kings (NLT)

39. Did anything stand out to you? What was that?

41. left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” (cont’d)
9 There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have
broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one
left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” (cont’d)
1st Kings (NLT)

42. 11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,”
the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain.
It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the
wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not
in the earthquake. 12 And after the... (cont’d)
1st Kings (NLT)

43. ...earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not
in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of
a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1st Kings (NLT)

45. Did anything challenge you? What and why?

47. left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” (cont’d)
9 There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have
broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one
left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” (cont’d)
1st Kings (NLT)

48. 11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,”
the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain.
It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the
wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not
in the earthquake. 12 And after the... (cont’d)
1st Kings (NLT)

49. ...earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not
in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of
a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1st Kings (NLT)

51. or moves your heart. Slowly repeat it.
Find a word or phrase
that catches your eye
or moves your heart. Slowly repeat it.

53. Listening to God Pastor Nathan Weller August 27, 2017
Series: Face Time