But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me.But my people didn’t listen to my voice. Israel desired none of me.But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.But my people hearkened not to my voice; And Israel would none of me.
3 sermons cite this verse
Here is what God says he would do if they would only listen. Now let me ask you a question. What is it that determines what I hear from God? And there are three primary things that highly influence, greatly influence, superiority over everything else that influences what you and I hear when God speaks to us as we know that he does. And the first one is this. That is our relationship with him. Our relationship with him highly influences what you and I hear when we pray and we listen to God. For example, a lost person, that is a person who is an unbeliever, maybe somebody you, you've never trusted Christ as your Savior. And you say, well, what am I hearing from God? The only thing you'll ever hear God speak about, the only thing you'll ever hear Him say, is that you are a sinner, that you need to be saved. He wants to encourage you to look to His Son as the only hope of your salvation, looking to the cross, trusting Him as your Savior. …
I believe one of the most valuable lessons you and I ever learn in this Christian life is how to listen to God. Because I believe that is so important, I want to begin today a series entitled Listening to God. And I'm praying that God will speak through my heart to many of you to maybe at least help you learn how to listen to what He wants to say to you. Now, the first question that you and I might ask is, and the thing we have to settle is this, is God still talking? If God isn't still speaking, then there's no point in our listening. And I want to tell you, my friend, that God is still speaking today just as surely as He was in the days in which this book was written. Now, let me be quick to say this. All the voices that are being heard today are not God's voice. There are some voices being heard today under the guise of being God's voice that could not be the voice of God because Almighty God, who is omniscient. …
I. This subject admits of an application to unconverted sinners. If it be so, as has been represented, then let me exhort you to seek those convictions. Though you are at present sinners, and have no terrifying sense of your danger of hell, yet I presume to say concerning most of you at least, that you do not intend to go to hell. When you happen to think about another world, you flatter yourself, that in some way or other you shall escape eternal misery; or at least, you do not think of it with a willingness to be damned. But if it be, that you do not suffer eternal damnation, you have a great work to do before you die. It ordinarily is a very difficult work, especially to those who have gone on for a considerable time in ways of wickedness under the means of grace. If you are ever truly converted, you must be convinced of your misery and unworthiness; you must be guilty in your own sense. Begin your work, then, and seek to be made sensible of your misery and unworthiness. Make haste, and set about this work speedily. You may defer it so long, that it will be too late. It may be too late, if you delay, in these two ways. It may be too late, as you may be overtaken with death, before you set about it, as thousands and millions have been before you. And if you should not die before you begin, yet it may be too late, as you may never have an opportunity to get through. Some persons are a long time under convictions, before they are converted. There are some, whom God suffers to continue a long time seeking salvation in their own strength before he makes them despair of help from themselves. They continue many years trusting in their own righteousness, as it were, wandering from mountain to hill, from one hold to another, seeking rest and safety. They are a long time building castles in the air. They sometimes flatter themselves from one consideration, and sometimes from another. And if you should delay, there is danger that you may not have time. Some are many years under fears of damnation, and are seeking salvation. And there are many for whom death is too quick. Here we will consider briefly what are the occasions of the stupidity and senselessness of sinners; and thence shall take occasion to warn those, who would seek the convictions of God’s Spirit. …