Why Listen To Jesus? - 2007 Pismo Clam Festival
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In our Sunday school class we are working our way through John Piper’s book “What Jesus Demands of the World.” Last week, one of the chapters we looked at was chapter 6, in regard to Jesus’ command to, “Listen to Me.”
He called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand.”—Mark 7:14
As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”—Luke 8:8
Take care then how you hear.—Luke 8:18
And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”—Luke 10:38-42
Meditating on these and other related passages has helped me to see why people don’t seem to care much for what we have to say when we attempt to share our faith. Whether it’s open air preaching, 1-2-1 witnessing, or even handing out gospel tracts – many you come in contact with have no desire to listen.
Why won’t they? I mean, it’s the Good News, right? Why won’t a fallen man, dead in trespasses and sins, who the Bible says is “condemned already” listen?
They will not listen to us because they won’t listen to Jesus. Why won’t they listen to Jesus? John Piper sights this passage, “You seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you” (John 8:37). Then Piper says, “Their minds and hearts are shaped (or stuffed) in such a way that when he speaks, what he says won’t fit in their hearts.”
Oh and remember the encounter Jesus had with Pilate, when Pilate says, “What is truth”? Jesus responds, “Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” (John 18:37) Piper says “…our condition as fallen sinners unfits us for hearing the truth—especially as it comes from Jesus…When Jesus speaks, unless God acts to give us ears to hear and eyes to see, there will be no place in us for the words of Jesus.”
In summary, people will not hear Jesus because, 1) His words have no place in them, and 2) unless God enables them to hear and see they will not.
What does all this mean? I mean what is the application for me right now?
Praise God because He is Sovereign in all things – even the salvation of man.
I’ve received feedback from concerned Christians in regard to street evangelism. They say things like, “How do people respond to you? Don’t people get upset that you speak so openly about their sin?” Often times Christians are worried about the fact that people might see us as being judgmental, unloving, and/or condemning. Here is another typical question that I’ve heard from more than one skeptical Christian, “Why do you keep on preaching when no one is listening to you - they are just walking by?”
Again, God is in total control in saving men – from beginning to end. In addition to the fact that in spite of my fears of how people will respond, whether they believe I’m being judgmental, unloving or even condemning, those who wont “hear Jesus” wont hear us either. Those who our Sovereign God enables to “hear Jesus” will hear us.
Christian, our desire should be to JUST BE FAITHFUL. As long as we are sharing the Gospel in love with this lost world, we shouldn’t be worried about how people will respond. I guarantee this, they will respond to us the same way that mankind has always responded to the revealed Word of God. If they are not of God there will be no Holy Spirit prepared heart to receive the truth. If they have in fact been “made alive” to receive the Word of Christ, THEY WILL RECEIVE IT.
My son Sawyer and I went to the Pismo Clam Festival last weekend. We walked around for a half-hour, looking for a place to set up. Every place we stopped, we would have to contend with loud music. All the places we normally preach, pass out tracts, and have good 1-2-1’s was packed full of people, but with the loud music, it would be impossible to preach or carry on a conversation. So we ended up setting up half way down the pier.
I passed out tracts and preached on and off for about four hours. There were a ton of people in attendance. There were a ton of people who just walked by and didn’t listen.
I preached for a while without any amplification but I ran out of steam because the wind was blowing so hard. I brought my portable PA and cranked it up – thinking to myself, “The police are going to shut you down Allen.” However, while I was preaching, two police officers road up on bikes and asked me if every thing was ok. One of them said, “No one is hassling you are they?” I responded, “No.” The officer went on to say, “If you have any problems with people hassling you, let us know.” What a blessing!
Even though most people just walked past and wouldn’t listen, there was one sixteen-year-old gent named Nathan who stopped to chat. Nathan has a Mormon background. I don’t think his family or him are practicing but he mentioned that he had attend a Mormon Church on and off.
After getting an idea of what his religious background was, I took Nathan through a few of the Ten Commandments. We can’t see a person’s heart but this kid was convicted – you could just tell. I shared with Nathan some of God’s characteristics – His holiness, righteousness, goodness, and the fact that He hates injustice. I dwelt there for a bit, helping Nathan to understand that God is just and hates sin and that God is a God of wrath towards all who sin. The little guy’s face said it all – he knew he was in trouble. I asked Him, “Nathan, are you going to be sent to Hell for your sins against God?” He said, “Yes,” looking up just for a second. I asked him if he deserved to go to Hell. He responded by saying, “Yes.” This young man was concerned.
I so wanted to give him some relief by sharing the Good News with him – but I didn’t. I just kept thinking, “Not yet, take the time.” At length I spoke with Nathan about Hell. I shared with him every passage I knew about it. I spent some time speaking about the hopelessness of Hell.
I thought to myself, “How can this little guy bear all this?” I also thought, “Wow, here we are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and God brought this one guy, out of all of the rest, to listen to God’s Word.”
Finally I shared the Good News with him. I also took the time to share with him the difference between the Mormon Jesus vs. the Biblical Jesus – two different Jesus’. Also defining repentance and faith, emphasizing Eph 2:8-9.
Before we departed Nathan said he would repent and trust in Jesus when he got home. I also gave Nathan a New Testament. Please pray for this little guy.
The audio is from last Sunday. I met a nice young lady named Uli. I hope that’s how she spells her name. This encounter is also pretty lengthy – but well worth it. They all are! It was nice to have Uli ask, what I thought were genuine questions. Quite often people will ask disingenuous questions just to dodge the subject at hand. But Uli didn’t. Although she was honest about the fact that she is still wrestling between her Catholic upbringing (there is a God) and what she is leaning is school (evolution), she did ask some good genuine questions. I pray that God will use my witness to save her soul for His Great Namesake.
Oh yea, John Piper gives us a partial list of reasons why people should listen to Jesus:
1) No One Ever Spoke Like This Man
2) Jesus Speaks the Very Words of God
3) Jesus’ Words Silence Supernatural Powers
4) Jesus Has the Words of Eternal Life
5) Jesus’ Words Awaken Faith
I love it! I believe these are also five more good reasons why Christians should share the Gospel with the lost. Five additional reasons why we should preach the Word, in season and out of season. These are just five other reasons why you Christian should be deliberate in sharing the Words of Jesus Christ with strangers, friends, family – all creatures.
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