In Mark chapter 4, Jesus is telling the parable of The Sower to the crowd that was following Him. When He was finally alone with his followers and disciples, they inquired of Him what the parable meant. At the end of His explanation of the parable, Jesus begins to speak to them about the importance of listening. He begins by using one of His favorite phrases in verse 23 – “He that has ears to hear, let him hear.” Then Jesus says to His disciples that they need to be careful what they listen to.
Hearing means to accept as truth what is being communicated. From the time we are children, we are hearing many things. We enter life believing everything we hear. If someone tells us the sky is blue, we believe the sky is blue. Unfortunately, we live in a world where the enemy of our souls is a liar and much of what we hear from day to day are lies and half-truths. Therefore, it is necessary for us to become discriminating in what we listen to.
When information is accepted as truth, it enters into our hearts and it begins to guide us in our lifestyles, attitudes, actions and relationships. Even a lie or half-truth when it is accepted as truth becomes embedded in our hearts and affects the people we become. For instance, if a parent tells a young child over and over that they will never amount to anything, that information will become a major part of how they see themselves. They will have a very low self-image. They will probably never strive to achieve anything noteworthy, all because they have accepted a statement about themselves as truth.
When we think about God, the first thing we need to understand is that God is true and never lies. Therefore we can trust everything He tells us. We can rely on His insight and His guidance, because He will never steer us wrong. In Romans 3:4 the Apostle Paul says, “Let God be true, though every man be found a liar.”
How much does it matter what we listen to? Does it matter what television shows and movies we watch? Does it matter what music we listen to? Does it matter what schools we attend? Does it matter what books and magazines we read? The answer to all these questions is a resounding yes!
As an example let us look at the issue of evolution. For over one hundred years we have been told that man evolved from apes. We have been told this in our school classrooms. We have been told this in scientific magazines. We have been told this in newspaper articles. We have been told this in magazines. We have been told this in movies and television programs. Everywhere we turn it has become accepted as truth. To even question its truth is to invite ridicule and scorn. Colleges and Universities rarely accepted teachers who even question the validity of the theory. The hearing of the theory has affected the scientific community to the point where the Bible no longer carries any weight. Because the Bible says that God created the heavens and the earth and all that is on the earth, it is seen as an antiquated, allegorical book that has nothing valuable to say to us today. As a consequence, those who have accepted the theory of evolution as truth will have a very hard time accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, because they reject the entire possibility of a God.
One of the first issues that we need to confront is our knowledge of God’s word. God’s word is the standard by which we are to measure all other information. If we are not aware of what the Bible has to say, then we will be more likely to believe what the world has to say. God says in / / “My people perish for lack of knowledge.” One of the great tragedies that I have observed happening in the church over the past few decades is the decline in the knowledge of God’s word among those who call themselves Christians. We must know what God says before we will know if what anyone else is saying is true or false.
Then take a close look at what it is you are hearing today. How much of what you are taking in is in agreement with what God says? This applies not just to what the world is saying, but it also applies to what you hear within the realm of Christianity today. Not all persons who claim they are teachers of God’s word are genuinely teaching the truth of God. There is a rising movement within the church today, that denies the judgment of God, the deity of Jesus and the reality of hell. Heresy is beginning to spread like a cancer throughout the church under the guise of enlightenment. Be careful what you listen to.
The world is bombarding us with wicked and sinful lifestyles and messages that conflict directly with the standards of holiness that God requires from His people. Technology has advanced to the point where it is nearly impossible to avoid the messages the world wants to send us. Cell phones, computers, television and radio combine to deluge us with information and messages twenty-four hours a day. Nearly every Christian has at least one and usually three or four of these technological doorways in their life. The entertainment culture has succeeded in shaping opinions as much as anything ever has. As a result, we have seen the thought patterns and culture of Christians become nearly the same as those of the non-Christian community. What we have heard has molded us into conformity with the world, the very thing we were warned against. God desires that we be transformed not conformed.
Be careful then what you listen to. Part 2 will discuss the need to be careful how we listen.
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