Listening (Dr. Rick Sessoms)

 

Is listening an art form? I mean truly listening to what somebody has to say? We’ll talk about that today here on MemCare by Radio.

Welcome to another edition of MemCare by Radio. I’m Scott Hollinger and I am grateful you’ve made time once again in your schedule to allow us to spend this time together. Listening is something most of us hearing this program take for granted. But hearing and listening are two different things, aren’t they? I can remember as a teenager hearing a lot of my friends say they didn’t listen much to the lyrics of a song, they just liked the music or the beat. Sound familiar? I was probably one of those rare people who actually listened to the lyrics as well as the music. I have to admit I even played some records backwards to hear those subliminal messages that some rock albums were supposed to contain. Today as a husband and father and involved in ministry, I find a lot of my time is spent in hearing people talk and I am supposed to be listening to them as they share their day, their events and their struggles. Its not always easy and more than once either my wife or one of my sons would ask me, “Have you heard a word I said?” Hearing the simple word, “Dad” from my 13 year old is the cue that he wants to have a conversation. If I don’t answer immediately he will repeat the one word again but with more emphasis, “DAD!” That way he knows he has my full attention.

Today Rick Sessoms is with us again and he talks about the art of Listening.

Listening

 

Bryan pulled the covers over his head. Mike left. Two hours later, Mike returned. Bryan was reading. As Mike came through the door, Bryan looked up.

 

“Did it happen?”

 

“Did what happen?”

 

“Did you hear the Word of God?”

 

Mike responded, “Well, I don’t know, but if what I heard is true, it would make a big difference.”

 

When Mike said those words, “I guess I want to hear the Word of God,” he speaks for most people when they come to church. They want to hear someone speak the Word of God. That’s what people want to hear from Christian leaders. That’s what they have a right to hear.

 

Question: How are they going to hear the Word of God through Christian leaders?

 

Are they going to hear the Word of God because Christian leaders are faithful to Scripture? Are people going to hear the Word of God because Christian leaders are committed to effective communication? Well, these issues are important, but there is another weighty factor that will determine whether people hear the Word of God.

 

People who follow Christian leaders deserve to follow a pioneer listener.

 

A pioneer is a person who goes on ahead of a group of travelers to make it safe for them to follow. The pioneer scouts ahead, explores, examines, takes risks, discovers, and suffers if necessary on behalf of fellow travelers who will take the same path.

 

People will hear the Word of God when pioneer Christian listeners speak.

 

But there are some obstacles to pioneer listening:

 

First, there is the expectation of followers.

 

The church sends the message that Christian leaders are called first to be speakers, not listeners.

 

When I was ordained to the Christian ministry, the vows I took gave no indication that I was called to be a listener. I was charged to preach the gospel, to administer the ordinances, to be a person of prayer, and to lead the people of God.

 

In all my preparation for Christian ministry, I never took a course, or even a single class on listening. But over the years I’ve recognized how desperately I need to hear from God before I can speak for him. On hearing hangs our salvation.

 

Oh yes, one can lead for a season without attentive listening. It is our occupational hazard as Christian leaders that we are so driven by the questions, “What shall I say?” and “What shall I do?” ...that we find little time to ask, “What is God saying?” and “What is God doing?”

 

In Romans 10:17, Paul wrote, “Faith comes through hearing, and hearing from the Word of God.”

 

Yes, leaders speak the Word of God, but in order to do that, may they be hearers first. If not, our foundation for Christian ministry collapses. What remains will be a religious organization that preserves tradition and promotes good causes, but it will not be the church where people are believing and calling on the name of the Lord.

 

I’m Scott Hollinger and I would like to thank you for listening today. I would like to thank Rick Sessoms for being with us today here on MemCare by Radio. I trust our time has been an encouragement for you. If you would like to listen to this program again or check out the other resources go to www.membercareradio.com that’s membercareradio.com. I’m Scott Hollinger and on behalf of the MemCare team, I would like to thank you for listening and our prayer is that God will bless you this week in your work for Him.