LISTEN TO ME (2 OF 7)
by Jeff Strite
Scripture: I Samuel 2:11-36, I Samuel 3:1-18
This content is part of a series.
Listen to Me (2 of 7)
Series: The Boy Prophet
Jeff Strite
I Samuel 2:11-3:18
OPEN: A businessman who needed several million dollars to clinch an important deal and sensing the need for divine help, he went to church to pray for money.
By chance, he knelt next to a man who was praying for $100 to pay an urgent debt. The businessman took out his wallet and pressed $100 into the other man's hand and, overjoyed, the man got up and left the church.
The businessman then closed his eyes and prayed, ''Now, Lord. Now that I have your undivided attention....''
APPLY: That businessman wanted God's undivided attention. But frankly it isn't God who has the problem … it's us. We really don't have to work that hard to get God to hear our prayers. He's promised He would listen.
Jesus even promised ''ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened.''
We don't have to work at getting HIS attention…. but too often God has to work to get ours.
In Ezekiel, God complained that ''these people have ears to hear but they never hear - eyes to see, but they never see'' (12:2).
Why don't they hear/see?
Because they're not paying attention.
ILLUS: I read recently that some state was thinking of making new restrictions on young drivers. It seems that having a teenager drive can be a scary thing. But they've found that when a teen has a friend in the car, the situation gets even worse. AND if that teen has several friends in the car… that was a recipe for disaster.
So someone has suggested that for the first year or so driving - no friends in the car.
Now, why would a teen be a danger because of his friends being in the car with him?
Because the teen would get distracted by his friends and not pay attention.
They have ears to hear… but they'd just not be listening to the things they need to listen to.
We have the same problem sometimes back in the sound booth. We have dedicated workers back there, but once in a while they ...
Series: The Boy Prophet
Jeff Strite
I Samuel 2:11-3:18
OPEN: A businessman who needed several million dollars to clinch an important deal and sensing the need for divine help, he went to church to pray for money.
By chance, he knelt next to a man who was praying for $100 to pay an urgent debt. The businessman took out his wallet and pressed $100 into the other man's hand and, overjoyed, the man got up and left the church.
The businessman then closed his eyes and prayed, ''Now, Lord. Now that I have your undivided attention....''
APPLY: That businessman wanted God's undivided attention. But frankly it isn't God who has the problem … it's us. We really don't have to work that hard to get God to hear our prayers. He's promised He would listen.
Jesus even promised ''ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened.''
We don't have to work at getting HIS attention…. but too often God has to work to get ours.
In Ezekiel, God complained that ''these people have ears to hear but they never hear - eyes to see, but they never see'' (12:2).
Why don't they hear/see?
Because they're not paying attention.
ILLUS: I read recently that some state was thinking of making new restrictions on young drivers. It seems that having a teenager drive can be a scary thing. But they've found that when a teen has a friend in the car, the situation gets even worse. AND if that teen has several friends in the car… that was a recipe for disaster.
So someone has suggested that for the first year or so driving - no friends in the car.
Now, why would a teen be a danger because of his friends being in the car with him?
Because the teen would get distracted by his friends and not pay attention.
They have ears to hear… but they'd just not be listening to the things they need to listen to.
We have the same problem sometimes back in the sound booth. We have dedicated workers back there, but once in a while they ...
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