Saturday May 19, 2012

Make a habit of listening to Jesus.

Read just 1 verse today and carry it with you all day, seeking to apply it and do it

Read Deuteronomy 18:15-22

 

The solemnity and seriousness of our worship gathering is brought out in today’s verses. As God spoke to Israel He made it clear that when He spoke to a prophet and a prophet spoke to the nation, it was as though the Lord Himself had spoken. Of course it is! God speaks through a variety of means, but mainly through His prophets.  Anyone who did not listen to the prophet would be answerable to God Himself.

 

Conversely, if a prophet spoke presumptuously without the Lord’s authorisation, he was to be put to death. God is serious about the transmission of His word and the reception of it.

 

Today a similar situation occurs. When we gather to sit under the Word, God speaks to the preacher and the speaker speaks to us. Assuming that this man has been faithful to the Word we should listen as though the Lord Himself were speaking to us. Rather than rating this man’s charisma, style and delivery methods (like a judging panel on a talent show), we should be listening to the Word of the Lord.

 

But the text looks forward to the coming of The Prophet that would speak uniquely in God’s Name because he is very essence of God. Looking back at the ministry of Christ Jesus, Peter in Acts 3 applies these verses directly to Jesus as does Steven in Acts 7. Jesus is The Prophet from God that we must listen to. We must listen to Him in our quiet times. We must listen to Him every time we open the Word. We must listen to Him when our brothers and sisters bring a Word to us and we must listen to Him when He speaks through the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.

 

Prayer:

¥ Pray for our Committee of Management to be wise and thoughtful in the way that it handles the funds and resources of this congregation. Pray that we would see them blessed with a mission heart and a desire to reach the world for Christ Jesus.

¥ Pray for our Session. Pray that we would see these men filled with God’s Spirit and given great wisdom in shepherding us and leading us.