Pay Attention

Nikolle Bauder • February 3, 2021

Summary of sermon on Matthew 13:10-17 from Pastor Lance Shumake.

People love a good story.

It’s what pulls us into books and movies; what causes us to linger around a campfire. Good stories captivate their audience and bring them in.


Jesus -- the INVENTOR of story -- is Himself the master storyteller.


The stories Jesus told during His earthly ministry were different than any other stories people had encountered before. He would teach in parables, that is, earthly stories with heavenly meaning. 


To illustrate a Biblical truth, He would share an earthly story to drive that truth home. Some people understood these stories; others didn’t. 


Still today, some people will hear and understand God’s message; some people won’t. 


Jesus’ teaching on earth was aimed to help us understand the Kingdom of God. He came to teach the gospel and to usher in His Kingdom. This was not (and is not) received by all. 


Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:22-24, “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.”


To some, the story of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins is a stumbling block...they don’t understand; they can’t get past works for salvation. To others, it’s a silly, ridiculous, crazy story.


But to those who are called… it is the power of God for salvation. The truth is, we have a God who died for us. He came out of the grave to give us hope for this life and for all eternity. Some people will hear this, some people won’t. As followers of Christ, we must pray for and engage with these souls; all knowing that we cannot talk them into anything or change their minds… only God can.

Knowing that some people hear, some people won’t, we *must* be people who strive to hear and understand. We *must* PAY ATTENTION.


We don’t want to miss what Jesus says.


On Sunday, Pastor Shu gave us some great practical instructions for how to be people who pay attention:


Pray for understanding. Before you open your Bible or attend worship on Sunday, pray for God to open your eyes to see and your ears to hear. The Holy Spirit has been given to us to illuminate God’s message and help us understand scripture.


Fight against distractions. There are so many things pulling us away from time with the Lord; be aware of these things and fight them! Put your phone out of sight or on silent; get up before the rest of your house; prioritize your time. You don’t want to miss what God is saying. (Note: yes, kids are a distraction. However, don’t use your kids as an excuse to not spend time in the Word! Get them involved. Engage with them. Let them see you prioritize this time. There is something on the other side of this that’s bigger and better for their souls!)


Listen with discipline. Put structure around your time with the Lord. Make it a priority to come to worship. Take notes during the sermon. Discuss the message with your family and community group. Engage your kids. 


Give priority to the truth. Note the first thing you grab in the morning… is it God’s word or is it social media? Prioritize God’s word above all other inputs. Center your thoughts on what is true, noble, and good. There are many things in our lives that are good and important -- but only one thing is Ultimate.


There is a warning in this: “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” (Hebrews 2:1)


And also some encouragement: “My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:1-5)


Let’s be a people that really listen. 


Let’s pursue God’s Word with all our hearts so we’ll be a people who truly understand His heart and the message He teaches.


--

Watch this sermon.

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