Acts: How Is Your Reception?

Well, good morning.

Thank you for enduring the weather, the storm and being

here with us this morning. If you have every bodyble

starting with me to Acts seventeen, we're going.

To start in verse ten.

In just a minute, Acts seventeen starting verse ten toalkt

of my sermon today is how is your reception now?

One thing that really really is a nice thing that

we all pretty much enjoy pretty regular part of our

life today.

Is our cell phones.

I mean, cell phones is a huge part of our life,

is a huge part of our every day, and it's

a really nice convenience something we all depend upon and

because of it, it really is in the midst of

it helps us stay connected with folks my parents. My

mom lives in Charlotte, and it helps me stay connected

with her. Just this week, I was working in office and.

She was able to call me.

We're able to communicate, stay in touch, and so no

matter where I am, I can stay in touch with

her and keep up to date with what's going on

in her life.

But one of the.

Bad things about cell phones is reception. Right, My sister

works in an office somewhere in Hillsboro, and the buildings

like a metal building, and if you try to call

her on her cellphone. You're not going to get to her, right,

It's just hard to talk with her and it sometimes

will break up and you'll lose pieces of the words.

Right.

So, even though this is great that we have some technology,

if you don't have good reception, it has no value.

It's worthless back in you know, just last week was

the Super Bowl, and one of the things that we

all talk about when it comes to Super Bowl, what

was the best commercial?

Right? You know, one of the best commercials from many,

many years ago.

And some of you are familiar with this commercial, some

of you may not be, but it was a Verizon commercial.

You remember that. Can you hear me now? Can you

hear me?

Now? Can you remember that? Some of y'all hopefully can

hear me, hopefully can remember that commercial. But in that commercial,

it was all about a guy trying to find out

where the reception was so he can make sure the

reception was clear, he could hear the call, he could

get the message. And you know, as we think about

that this morning, as good as a cell phone may be, if.

You don't have reception, you're.

Not hearing the individual's voice, nor will you get the message.

You know, today, as we come to this message this morning,

I want you to ask your question for yourself is

how is your reception spiritually speaking, when God speaks? Do

you hear when God calls? Do you hear his voice?

Do you hear the message that He has spoken to you?

Do you hear his voice.

When He calls to you?

You know?

How many times, maybe if you've left a growth group

class or a Bible study and God's word was spoken but.

You didn't get anything out of it.

How many times maybe if you come on a Sunday

morning service and God's word was proclaimed, songs were sung,

but you left empty, You left like we didn't get

anything out of the service. How many times maybe you

read your Bible during the week, or maybe listening to

music Christian radio, the songs play, you read the word,

but you leave hearing God's word, or you leave hearing

the song and it.

Just doesn't seem like it connects.

Today, I think as we come to this morning service,

we must ask ourselves, is there a problem with my reception?

Is there a problem with my connection? You know, God

speaks to us on a Sunday morning. He speaks to

us in many different ways and many times, the problem

is not him sending the message or delivering the word manytimes.

It really rests with us, the hearers. This morning, as

we come to Acts seventeen, we've been walking through our

study and Acts, and we're in Paul's second missionary journey.

We've looked at how he's in the area of Macedonia's

traveled to Philippi. Last week, he was in Thessonaika and

if you're just so, you know, you kind of gather

your bearings on scripture as we walked through Acts, it's

giving us in the second missionary journey all these different cities,

and these cities there are places where he eventually write

letters to So Philippi they visited. As we looked many

months ago, was who he would eventually write Philippians to.

That'salonaika would be eventually where he'd write first and second Thessalonians.

To the church that he was starting in this area.

This morning he comes to the new city and the

city is called Maria. And if you remember last week,

That'salaika was not receptive to the gospel. They rejected the gospel.

They ran Paul in Silas out of the city. Here

Paul comes in Act seventeen, and he comes to the

Jews in Bria, and he describes how their reception was different.

The reception was different than it was in Thessonaika. And

this morning, I want to as we examine this passage

of scripture, I want us to ask of ourselves this morning,

how is my reception? God's word was delivered in both cities,

and we're looking in just a minute.

The problem came down to the hearers and where how

they were receptive to the gospel. Let's stand together and

let's read God's word.

It's Acts seventeen, and we'll start in verse ten this

morning and read through verses fifteen, and Bible says the

brothers immediately sent Paul and saw us away by night

to Berea. And when they arrived, they went to the

Jewish and of God. And now these Jews were more

noble than those in Thesanaika. They received the Word with

all eagerness, examining the the scripture daily to see if

they were so, if the things were so. Many of

them therefore believed not a few Greeks women of high

standing as well as men. But when the Jews of

that's Andaikah learned that the word of God was proclaimed

by Paul at Berea. Also they came there to agitating

and stirring up the crowds. Then the brothers immediately sent

Paul off on his way to the seas, but Silas

and Timothy remained there, and those conducted Paul brought him

as far as Athens, and after receiving command for Silas

Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

Let's pray together, Father, we thank you Lord for this morning. Lord,

I thank you for a message like today where God

you call us to hear your word. God, you delivered

your word to us. Lord, I prayed today would be

a service that we as hearers you hear your word or.

Ask ourselves, how are we responding to your word? How

are we receiving your word? Say?

Lord, Lord, may you speak today. May we have hearts

that are open to your word? May we have hearts

that will examine your word? And God, I pray we

would have hearts that would respond to you today. Pray

today that those who are here in person are watching

online today, would not hear my words, Lord, but would

hear yours? Not feel a spirit or a leading from me.

But God, I pray they would feel a leading of

your spirit today. Lord, we love you, We thank you

Lord for this morning.

Lead us. Lord, by your word and your name.

We pray you maybe seen them. Now, as Paul's going

on a second missionaire journey in Macedonia, he comes to

he's traveling down the road. As we look down the nationway,

that road would go through all the different cities. He

came to Philippi, he went to Thessanaika. Now scripture tells

us he's in Bria. We see that in verse ten.

As he comes to Bria, the passage indicates to us

the brothers. The brothers there in verse ten is the

believers from Thessanaika who've come to Christ through Paul's ministry.

They send him off and they send him off through

the night.

And he goes into Bria. Now look at what scripture says.

And when he arrived Ata, he responds as his typical fashion.

As I told you, he has a pattern of ministry

as every town he goes into, he starts out ministry

by going and preaching into Synagod.

We looked at that at length last week.

He goes into Syne good again, But look at verse

eleven with me. In verse eleven, says, now these Jews

he's comparing. He's comparing these Jews to the Jews in Thessalonaika.

And he says that now these Jews were more noble

than those in Thessalonaika.

He's comparing.

Hey, I went into the city of Thessalaika on the

same road, and I followed the same pattern.

I go into the synagod.

And as he goes into synagod, he preaches the Gospel

and he says, you know what, the people in Bria,

they were different than the Jews. Were different in Brea

than there were in Thessalaika.

And he uses a word to describe how they were different.

He uses words.

He says that they were more noble than those in Thessalaika.

The word is you gain these.

In the Greek, the word means can be trans that

as well born or noble minded. The understanding in scriptures

only used this word is only used three times in

the Greek in all the New Testament. It is in

the understanding of birth that means that this this individual

who's born was was very important, and it's an important birth.

If it comes to someone speaking the word using the

Greek is speaking to someone's mind.

It means that the individual's mind was is more open.

They're more open minded.

And Paul is saying that here in this pastor of Scripture,

the people in Berea were more open minded to the

Gospel than the people in Testalaika.

If you remember when he goes in Testonaika, you went.

What three Sabbath, three Sundays in a row, right, or

three Saturdays in a row? He reasoned with them. He

comes in to Bria, he speaks a word to them.

When Scripture says they were more receptive, they're more open

to God's word. If you and He's given a very

clear picture there that there are people in Bria that

were more open to the Gospel than the people in Thessalonians.

Can I tell you.

There's true in acts, it's true today right, there are

people who are more open to God's word and more

open to the gospel than others. There's churches that were

more open to the Gospel than others. But if you

look at this passage of Scripture and you just compare

the two cities together, if you'll go back with me

in verse seventeen, there's several elements in this passage.

That they're the same. Right, these cities were the same.

In verse two, it says that Paul, when he goes

into Thessalaica, there was a syn of God of the Jews,

and as his custom verse two, he went into to

the synagod, and he reasons for three sabbaths. Right as

you go to verse ten. Brothers immediately sent Paul away

and Bria. And when he arrived, he went into synagod.

So in both cities he enters in. He goes into

the synagogue. In verse two of seventeen, it says Paul

went in. He has his custom on three sabbaths. He

reasoned them from scripture. Right, if you go to verse

thirteen of the passage we are reading here, it says,

but when the Jews, when the Jews from Thestinai like.

Had learned, the word of God was proclaimed. So things

were the same.

Right, Paul went into the Senate good where there was

people who would be open to the who would be

God fears would be Jews. He went into their deasn't

like it. He went into Bria. He did the same message. Right,

he proclaimed the word of God. To that'ston likens he

proclaimed the word of God to those in Borea, the

audience was the same.

They're both Jews and Greeks. God fears.

The setting was the same, his syn of Good in

both cities.

It was the same preacher, he was Paul.

In both places. It was the same message, the Word

of God. What was the difference from That's and like

to Bria, it was those in the seats. It was

those who heard. There were those who were open minded

to the gospel, and it was those who were not.

Can I tell you today, I've been.

A pastor for many years, and I've preached in many

different places. I've preached among many different people, probably thousands

of people, and.

You can see it.

There are those who are more open to the Gospel

than others. I can preach the same message here on

a Sunday morning and go to another congregation and preach

the same message, and that church may not be receptive

as you are. The people may not be receptive individually

as you are. What it's not me, It's not the message,

it's not the preacher, it's not the church building.

What is the difference to the people who are sitting

in the pews?

And sometimes we say you know what, a pastor, I

didn't get anything out of that message.

I didn't get anything out of that Sunday School lesson.

I didn't get anything out of that song.

And sometimes we put the emphasis that something's wrong from

the pool or something's wrong with the worship, or something

wrong with that song, and we're not taking responsibility that.

Maybe the problem is not the preacher. Maybe the problem

is not the word of God. Maybe the problem is me.

Maybe the problem is is I'm not open or I'm

not receptive to the gospel, and I don't have a

hunger or a thirst for the word of God. And

we must ask ourselves a question. You today, as here's

the word of God, must ask yourself the question this

morning is how is my reception? Am I open? Am

I open to God's word? Am I open for God

to speak to my heart? Or did I come in here?

And I'm just saying, you know what, this is what

I'm supposed to do. I'm supposed to come on a

Sunday morning. This is what I'm supposed to do every week.

This is what we do every week. And so I'm

just gonna go through the motions. Maybe the song will

really be good this morning. Maybe the preacher will be

say a few good jokes and tell a few funny

stories worries, but I don't really know that.

I want God's word to change my heart.

We must come to a place where we say, Lord today,

my heart is open to your work and God, if

you speak, I'll listen. God if you speak out here, God,

if you call, I'll answer. The Bible says they were

And that's the first question. And as we walk through

this morning, we asked this question for the title of sermon,

how is my reception? I think there's several questions we

must ask, And the first question is are you receptive?

And I hope in every question we ask today, I

hope you, individually, everyone in this sanctuary, everyone watching online,

will ask yourself this question. This is not for the

person besides Jesus, person of who you yourself? You ask

yourself this question. Am I recepted to the word of God?

Am I recepted to the Gospel? Am I open to

the Gospel? Answer that for yourself today.

I think it's very important that we asked that question.

That in asking that question, as.

You look at the passage Scripture of Paul really describes

why he believes they were noble minded and they were open.

He describes the description the Bible says in verse eleven,

Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalaika.

They the scripture, he says, they receive the word. The

word therefore receive is decami. It's the understanding of taking

hold of something, to take a delivery of.

You know, I don't know like you. Now.

We live with the Amazon world, right, and everything is

almost delivered to our house. But you know there's been

times where I don't know about you. Someone's delivered their

own package.

Right.

Facts man comes to your house, or ups men or Amazon. Right,

they come and they hand the package to you, and

you look at the package and you do what.

You make sure your name's on that package. Right.

If your name's not on this package, you say, what,

this is not for me, and you say you try

to give it back to him. But to take hold

of something's the idea of if the package come in

it's got your name on it, you said, this is mine,

and you what you have to receive that package now?

And I know most of the time.

They lay it at your door, but you there is

a place where you are responsibility for you individually to

receive something. It's delivered to you, but you've got to

take hold of it. You've got to bring it in

your house or whatever it may be, you have to

receive it. That's the imagery of this passage of scripture.

Paul says, I preached the Gospel inness and of God.

I proclaim the word of God. And they were more

open minded. And the one of the reasons why they're

more open is when God's word came to they said,

you know what I want this, God, as you've spoken

to me, I want this. I want to receive your

word for me. And there's something as we ask ourselves

the question is are we receptible?

We must ask the question is am I.

Receiving what God is trying to say to me today?

Or I want to say that package is not for me?

I always somebody else is here today. Man, I sure

should have been there this morning. They really needed to

hear that passage. They really need to hear what the

preacher says. So many times we want to deflect to

someone else and not take a responsibility of what God

are you trying to say to me?

They were receptive. They took a hold they received the

word of God. How did they receive the word of God?

Scripture says Paul describes that they received the word with

all eagerness. The understand here is they had an eagerness

for God's word to speak.

I love this. I remember, man, I'm dating myself this

morning in the sermon.

But back in the day, and I know there's some

of the young generations, Tanner, You're don't gonna have any

idea about what this happened. But back in the day,

on ciral boxes, they would give you something.

You remember that there was. It was a serial box.

I don't remember what kind of cerral was. But if

you collected certain.

UPCs, which is a little UPC's on the back, you cut.

Them off and you send them in the mail, they

would give you. They were given away a batting glove.

And so I was like, man, that's me.

I want this batting glove. I have no idea what

kind it was. But the next few months we bought

seal boxes. I cut the little EPC off the back

of them. I think I had to have I don't

know how many I had to have put in the

envelope and put it in, put the stamp on, I

send it off, and man, I could wait for that

batting glove to come in. I remember every day going

in the mailbox opened up every day after school, going

to the mailbox, hoping that my batting glove was coming in.

What I was eager for it to come in.

That's the imagery here that they were eager to get

back into sin of God.

They were eager to get into church. They were eager

to hear God's words speak.

Can I tell you sometimes that we know we receive

the word of God, but we need to receive it

with eagerness. God today, will you speak to my heart?

God? Not just on Sunday, but every day? God, would

you speak to my heart? God?

I want more of you Jesus. And if we want

to examine today or we receptive, we must ask ourselves.

Or we've rereceived what God has spoken, But how also

are we receiving it?

Are we having a hunger and thirst for the word

of God that God? Today? Today? Will you speak to

me God along for more of you they had.

They received the word of God with eagerness, but they

also received the word of God with examination. The Bible says,

look at what the passage with me, he says in

verse eleven.

They received the Word.

With all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if

things were so Man, this is this beautiful picture. You

can imagine. Paul goes and Burriah, that's the life was

so rough.

He just argued with them every Sunday and reason with them,

back and forth, back and forth.

He gets a bria. He goes in and he preaches

the word of God. And man, they're receiving it, They're

hearing it. God speak to me. They're eager to want

more when I want to understand more about God saying,

but not also when they when God speak, they're taking

the word of God, and they're hearing what Paul says.

And they're going back on Monday and they're taking God's

word and they're examining the love.

Man, he said this on Sunday. Where else is that

in scripture? I want to make sure that that's right.

And they're examining what Paul says with other passages of

scripture to make sure it was the word of go God.

Can I tell you that not only if we're going

to be receptive to the word of God. It starts

with us receiving the word of God. God what we

have from me. Had also continues with having the eagerness,

but also listen. In order for us to be have

a reception, a good reception with the word of God,

with God speaking to us, we must have a heart.

This is God. I want to examine your word. I

want I want to examine.

I want to know what your word says, not just

on Sunday morning, but Monday morning, Tuesday morning, Wednesday morning,

Thursday morning, Friday morning, Saturday morning, Sunday morning. God, I

want to I want to be in your word. Brandy

used to pick on me. I'm going to date myself again.

I know this is for some of the younger generations.

They do understand. But caller ID didn't always exist. You

know that you used to have to pay for you

remember it wasn't It didn't used to pop up on

the phone.

Well back when calor D didn't. It wasn't exists. You know,

you call your parents.

When I was a teenager, I'd call my parents and

maybe leave a voicemail, and the voicemail didn't say what

number it came from, right, And so I would call

mom at work or call dad at work. Even cell

phones didn't have call her back. I mean, I know

it did happen, but and so when I leave a voicemail,

I would say, Dad, this is Jonathan.

And Brady says, she used to pick on me.

She said, why that every time you leave a message

to your mom and dad, you tell them who it is.

She said, don't you think they know your voice? I

mean you could just say hey, and they could hear

just hey, they know your voice.

You're their child.

For Heaven's sakes, you do not have to identify yourself

to your parents. But I would always do it just

as of the habit, because back back then we didn't

have caller, I d can I.

Ask yourself a question today? Or ask you a question

this morning?

If God left your message, would you know his voice?

If God was speaking on a Sunday's morning he spoke to.

You, would you know voice? You see?

I believe when we're examining the Word of God and

we're in it on Mondays and Tuesdays and Wednesdays and

Thursdays and Fridays, we start communion with our Father. We

start hearing his voice more regularly, and so when he

speaks on Sunday morning, where he speaks in the song,

where he speaks throughout the times in our life. We

know it's our father who's speaking. And John, he says,

I love the Gospel John John ten two four. But

he enters by the door as a shepherd of the

sheep to him. The gatekeeper opens and the sheep listen.

The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own

by name, and he leads them out, for when he

brought all of his own.

He goes before them, and the sheep follow him.

Why because they know his voice? You know. For those

in Bria there was a reception to the word of God,

to the gospel.

Why because they have received it.

They say, God, I want to accept what you're sending

to me, the message you have from me, and I

want to accept it with eagerness, and I want to

accept it with the examination. I ask you today, how's

your reception? God speaking today, You have a decision whether

you're going to receive it. You have decision whether you're

gonna receive it with the eagerness and not just say

just Sunday, just today, I want your word. But in

the days to.

Come, next Sunday, Monday.

Next week will you continue to have eagerness to hear

God's word speak. When God speak, will you examine what

are you're saying according to the word of God and

make sure it is the voice of God? Will you

know his voice? Another question, well, you must ask ourselves.

And we see this passage of Scripture, it's the next question.

When we're evaluating our reception to the Word of God

and reception to the Gospel, and we must ask ourselves

the question of are we receptive?

We must also ask the question are you a believer?

Am I a believer?

Look at what happens in this passage Scripture verse twelve

says many of them therefore believed, and not a few Greek.

Women of high standing as well as men.

Now the Bible says, now hear this, It's very important

that you understand the conceptually what's going on. He goes

into synagod and he's just gribing the reception of the

Gospel to those in the synagod.

The Jews.

He says, man, they were more noble. They received it. Listen,

they received it. They were eager, they examined. Now, out

of all that group there on that congregation kind of

like in this congregation, here he's saying, as a whole,

this congregation did this, And then he takes the next

part and says, and in that group, in that congregate,

in that sin of God, there were those that have

They were more noble, they're open, they were eager, they examined,

they accepted. But there were some in those, some of them, right,

some of them believed. Now that brings a question that

you did deduct from this passage. It means that some

did not, you say me, pastor. There were some that

those who heard the word of God and who received

the word of God. And there were some of those

who examined description was eager. And there were some that

those who even had a had they examined the scriptures,

but they did not believe that that's what scripture says.

Only some believed, you know scripture. All through scripture we

see imagery of those of who who hear the word

of God, who receive that if you do the parable

of soul seeds. Right, there's some who fall upon the

soil and they sprout up for a while, and what

and to put their roots are in what rocky soul?

And then they choked down and they fade away. We

see James says, don't be just hearers of the word.

Right there those who are just hearers of the word,

but they're not doers of the word.

And first John in One John two nineteen scripture says.

They went out from us, but they were not of us.

Had they been of us, they would no doubt have

continued with us. But they went out that it might

be made manifest that they were not of us. John

the gospel right of saying, Hey, there were some followers,

and they followed us for a while, but there's a

time where they left us, and they left us to

reveal that they were not true followers of Jesus. They

may look like it, they may talk like it, they

may even been eager for the Word of God, but

they never put their faith in Jesus for salvation. When

we're asking ourselves the question or we recept it, we

must come to a plast where we.

Ask ourselves, have I received Jesus?

Have I believed? Have I accepted His free gift of salvation.

It's not enough just to be a hearer, It's not

just enough to receive. We must come to a place

where we believe and we put our faith in Jesus

for salvation and we put our life into him. There

was a old pastor, one of the best pastors. And

I've shared this maybe illustration with you many times before,

share it with you again just because it's a great reminder.

It's pastor named Adrian Rogers, greatest, I believe, one of

the greatest pastors of Southern baptest pastors ever.

And he described salvation or faith in Jesus.

Faith he described as an acronym forsaking all I trust

in Him. Right, when we believe in Jesus, when we

put our faith in Jesus for salvation, we're saying, God,

I'm trusting, I'm forsaking all things of this life, right,

and I'm trusting in You and you a loan for salvation. Now,

if you kind of think about that, faith is like

a chair.

Right.

If I sit in this chair, all my weight, all

of my being rest right in this chair.

I am not holding myself up. What this chair is

holding me up?

And when we think about salvation and we're placing our trust,

our faith and something for salvation, we're saying, I'm resting

my salvation.

Into this thing. Right. Well, the question is today you're

either putting your faith in one or two things. Can't

sit in both chairs.

You can only sit in one, and you're either putting

your faith and your salvation in your hands. I'll try

to be a good person, try to do good things,

try to go to good church, maybe try to listen

to a word, maybe try to be just a batter person.

But in the end, your faith is in yourself.

Faith may be.

You and your religion, or you and your good works,

But in the end, you're really trusting in your goodness,

your works, your ability. Or you're saying, Lord, I'm not

putting my faith in myself. Lord, I'm resting my salvation

in you and what you did for me on the cross.

And I'm trusting in you for my salvation. And by

trusting in you, Lord, I'm living. I'm placing my life

into your hands.

I'm resting in you.

You must ask yourself today a question. When you ask yourself,

am I receptive? You must ask yourself a question of

what is my faith in? Have ever come to a

place what I put my salvation and my faith in?

Jesus said, Some of these made the decision that they

were going to believe in Jesus for salvation to put

their trust in.

How about you today?

Lastly, as we finish up today, you must ask the

next question.

The next question is not.

Only you you guys, ask yourself. Are you receptive? You

must ask yourself are your believer? Last question is are

you defensive? The Bible says, look at the pastor scripture,

there were those many believed, and they were There were

Jews who believed.

Scripture describes there were not a few.

This is is that we don't do this in our

English language, but in the Greek it not a few

means that there's a lot. It means there wasn't just

a two or three. There was a lot, is the

way he's describing, not not a few. There were many

Greek women of high standing as well as men. There's

men and women who came to faith, many of them,

and a lot of small numbers. What Luke is saying.

Look at verse thirteen. But when the Jews from Thessanaika

learned that the Word of God was proclaimed by Paul

at Bria, they came there too, agitating and stirring up

the crowds. The Bible says here that those in Thessanaika

heard about the Word of God that was being proclaimed.

Listen what I mean.

He even says that when they learned those in Testalika,

the Jews and Thesanika learned that the Word of God

was proclaimed by Paul.

When they hear.

About it, they come to Bria, and the Bible says,

they come to Bria and Scripture says, they agitate. It's

that same ideas we saw last week. They really stir

up people. They stir up the crowd. They actually form

a riot in the city of Bria as well to form.

An attack against Paul.

Right, and why why did they do that? They do

that because they see, and I've said this last week,

they see the Gospel as a threat to their freedom.

Right.

We go to this ad. I want to put my

faith in my trust, in my life. I want to

do what I want to do. I want to do

what I want to do with my relationships, with my life,

with the direction of my life. And I don't want

to Jesus to a friend on my freedom, Jesus a

friend to infringe on my lifestyle, or I want Jesus

to infringe on what I want to do. And they

see Jesus and Paul's gospel as a threat to their

what to their lives, and so therefore their defensive pushing

Jesus away something we don't see maybe as much. But

I remember a few years ago one of my close friends,

he didn't want a sell for them. He was he's

my age, we grew up together, we were high school friends.

Everybody at that time in college we all had cell phones.

We're all texting. Not Brad.

Brad didn't want a cell phone. He didn't want to talk.

He didn't want to text. He wanted just to If

you want to talk him, call his landline right, call

his work number.

He didn't want to have a.

Phone, and he didn't want to just be contact and

that anytime wherever he was, his phone to be ring.

He didn't want to have to carry it around. He

didn't want to be found at any time or tracked

at any time.

Right, He just did not want that.

You know what, many times there are those who are

defensive to the Word of God, and when it comes

down to it, they just don't want God's word, they

don't want his truth, they don't want the change that

Jesus will bring in their life.

And they see the Gospel and.

The Word of God as a threat to their freedom,

to their life, to their lifestyle, and so therefore thank you,

but no thanks, And therefore they push the word of

God away. Ask you today, how's your reception?

Are you receptive to the word of God? This morning?

God's words been spoken to you? Every one of you

watching on TV or watching here in person has come

to you. Will you receive what God is speaking to

you today? Will receive it with eagerness? Will you receive

it with examination? Have you put your faith in Jesus

or your believe today? If not today, would today be

the day? Did you say, Jesus, I want to trust

you in salvation. I've heard I've heard you speaking to

me and God, I want a relationship with you. I

want to put my trust in you today. Or are

you today not today defensive? Or I just don't know

if I can, if I can do this right now?

I think it's good to be honest with the Lord.

Well, you're respond of the Lord calling to you today

and the last tenner in the band to come forward.

You know, one of the blessings about phones.

And voicemail is to get messages. One of the things

I cherish now is voicemail, and the reason now it's good.

My dad passed away, and I have voicemail saved from

my dad, so every one and why I hadn't done

it yet.

To be honest with you.

But at any time, if I want to, I can

pull up on my phone and I could play that

voicemail and I can hear my dad's voice.

Now, hearing.

My dad's voice is precious more than any other time

in my life. I long to hear his voice. But

the reality is, I know he's not gonna call. But

what I tell you that is to tell you I've

learned that hearing the voice of my father it's precious.

And can I tell you today, just as precious.

As hearing my father's voice, is hearing my heavenly father's voice.

As much as.

I should want a longing to hear my dad's voice,

may I have a longing to say, God, when you speak,

I want to hear it. I don't want to say God,

not today, not now, Maybe in another month or so,

maybe in another year or so, but God, not now.

Know when God speaks, I want to say God, I

want to listen God. I want your message from me

and God, I want to have an eagerness to hear

your voice, and God, when you speak.

I want to examine it. I want to catch every

detail and fluctuation in your voice.

God.

I want you.

Because Lord your mine, and I have put my faith

in you, and I trust that you are a good,

good father that will lead me. So God, I could

trust you, and God, I will trust you with my salvation.

I'll trust you.

With my life.

And there's a Bible passage of scripture. It's Hebrews. Hebrews

three seven.

Says therefore, as a spirit, say listen to this today.

If you hear his voice, don't harden your heart. Says

in the Rebellion.

Can I tell you today today, if you hear his voe,

don't harden your heart.

Say here, I am Lord, speak to me. Will you

stand with me? Every head about, every eye close, will

you pray with me?

God has spoken today this morning to you, every individual.

In this church service. Listen. He has speaking to you today.

Will you receive his message? Will you receive his word today?

You say, God, give me eagerness for your word, not

just on Sunday, but every day of the week.

God, help me learn to examine your word today.

Will you receive the message that God has for you

on how God's spoken to I know he has. Will

you receive it today? Are you a believer? Have you

pet your faith in Jesus for salvation?

Some have and some have not. We know that.

If you have today, will you declare, God, thank you

for saving me.

God, I am yours.

Help me trust you with more of my life. But

if you have it today, will you say, Lord, I

know I need to do this. I know I need

to put my faith in you. Lord.

I know I've been trusting in myself and I need

to trust in you and what You've done for me.

Maybe today it will be the day that you say, Jesus, Lord,

I admit that I'm a sinner. I believe that you

dial are across from my sin, and today I confess.

That I need you as Lord and savior in my life. God,

forgive me and my sins. Lord, I confess you as

Lord save me today. Would you make a prayer like

that today right where you are? Would you do that?

If you're here today and you're just to be honest,

you're just defensive, just not ready yet. There's some things

that are going on and you're just you're not sure.

Would you just be honest with the Lord. Say, Lord,

you know today you know my heart. I can't fake

it with you. God, you know the inner being of

my heart. But God, I hear you're speaking to me today,

and Lord, help me be sensitive. Help me, Lord, surrender

more myself to you.

However the Lord leads you, you respond to him.

Lord.

We love you, God, We thank you that as we

stand here today, and Lord, we recognize Lord, what today

we've heard is not my.

Words, is yours. Lord.

We declare Lord, the word of God has been spoken.

And Lord, I pray that today as we've heard your message, Lord,

we respond to you today. Lord, help us have open

hearts to hear as your spirit is spoken. Surrender Lord

more of ourselves. Lord, I pray this time the invitations

we come. Maybe some come to this altar and just

pray at the altar, Lord, some pray at the seat.

Lord.

However, Lord you lead, I pray the God that would

be those who will respond.

Lord.

I pray today, if there's someone here has never put

their faith in Jesus, the Lord, that they would come

to talk to me or one of the elders about

how they can put their faith in You today for salvation.

Lord, however you lead us. Now, Lord, may we Lord

respond to your word and your name. We pray Amen

Jesus paid

To