How can we ensure we are not ignoring God's messengers today? Scripture Focus “‘And the LORD has sent all His servants the prophets to you again and again, but you have not listened or inclined your ear to hear.’” (Jeremiah 25:4) The Heart of the Warning • God repeatedly reaches out through chosen messengers. • He expects attentive hearing and responsive obedience, not casual interest. • The stated problem—“you have not listened”—is both historical and timeless; it can describe any generation that treats divine warnings lightly. Identifying God’s Messengers Today • The written Word of God: every verse “God-breathed” and sufficient (2 Timothy 3:16-17). • Faithful preachers and teachers gifted by Christ for the church (Ephesians 4:11-12). • Fellow believers who admonish, encourage, and speak Scripture into daily life (Colossians 3:16). • The inward witness of the Holy Spirit always agreeing with the Bible (John 16:13). Pitfalls That Keep Us From Listening • Familiarity—“heard it all before,” so the heart grows dull. • Preference—choosing voices that only confirm existing opinions (2 Timothy 4:3). • Busyness—crowding schedules until there is no unhurried time for Scripture or godly counsel. • Pride—assuming spiritual maturity makes warnings unnecessary (Proverbs 16:18). Guardrails to Keep Our Ears Open 1. Daily, unhurried Bible intake—reading, memorizing, meditating. 2. Regular gathering under expositional preaching that unpacks the text. 3. Intentional fellowship that invites accountability and loving correction. 4. Testing every message against the whole counsel of Scripture (Acts 17:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). 5. Cultivating a teachable, humble spirit that says, “Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10). 6. Prompt obedience—acting on truth while it is fresh, before excuses form (James 1:22-25). Reinforcing Passages • Luke 10:16 — “The one who listens to you listens to Me; the one who rejects you rejects Me.” • Hebrews 1:1-2 — God spoke through prophets, now speaks through His Son. • Hebrews 13:17 — “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls.” • Revelation 2–3 — “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Living It Out By taking Scripture at face value, honoring every God-appointed messenger, and guarding against the subtle drift of indifference, believers remain receptive to the Lord’s voice. Listening is proved genuine when hearts yield promptly and lives align visibly with the truth received. |
    |