B.L.E.S.S. - Part 2: Listen

0:03 A few weeks ago I shared with you that I feel God's given us, given me a burden for our church to pick up, which is to help win the lost Jesus. That I'm challenging you to be a participant in helping to win people to the Lord. Over 80% of Americans are unchurched, unsaved, backslidden, unsure, disconnected. Over 80%. And it is our hope that we can do our part of winning the people who you are connected with to the kingdom of God. 80% means out of every 10 persons you know 8 of them are not connected to the kingdom of God and God calls us, you and I to be able to lead those people to a place of a vibrant walk of God I know you want to know who are those people so a couple weeks ago I shared with you that the acronym Francis encouraged you to help win people that you're connected with.

1:14 And I use an acronym Francis. F in Francis stands for friends, R, relatives, A, acquaintances, N, neighbors, C is coworkers or classmates, E is enemies, S is strangers. I asked you to make a list. Did y'all make a list? Thank both of y'all for saying amen to that. Praying that you made a list of people that you know that fall in those categories. categories and that you will take the responsibility of praying and leading them to the Lord. And over the next several weeks, starting last week, I'm giving you tools to be able to lead them to the Lord. And I'm using the acronym BLESS, B-L-E-S-S, say that. So last week I took the B and the B stands for beseech God. Talk to God.

2:11 Pray for those persons. And I'm hoping that in your prayer life, it is my belief and prayer and conviction, I'm hoping that as you pray every day, through the course of the day, that you're calling out the names of the people that you know and love and care about that are either friends or relatives, your siblings, your nephews, nieces, uncle, aunts, mom and daddy, your children, and call their name out before God and pray for them. I believe God answers prayer.

2:42 Amen. Bless is the acronym I'm using for this. So every week I'm going to take just one point. I got a one-point message for these next several weeks. One point. You ain't going to be three points in a shout or three points in a song. One point. Last week it was beseech God. Approach God. Cry out to God on behalf of that person. Today in the acronym BLESS is L. L. It's the letter L and it stands for listen.

3:15 Listen. Everybody say listen. Listen. Say it again. Listen. Look at your neighbor and say, do you ask him? Do you know how to listen? Thank you. It's one of those This is a very important deal here Because most people don't know how to listen that's one of my problems. I'm not a great listener, which my wife has reportedly reminded me of on multiple occasions.

3:53 She has told me that I'm not a good listener. One time, early in our marriage, we had young kids. and I was working in Virginia. I had a good government job and I worked an hour away and I felt she needed with those young kids if something happened she needed transportation so I wanted to get a car. She told me repeatedly she didn't need a car but I went out and bought a car.

4:27 A used car that broke down the engine blew up two months later. And you know what she said? I told you so. Which she still reminds me to 40 years later. Thank you. And I made the mistake of telling her when she would tell me what she was feeling, bothering her, hurting her, disappointing her.

5:35 I would tell her, that's the devil. wrong words to say. And one time, she was so frustrated with me, I had bought her a jewelry box, a nice expensive jewelry box that she kept all her jewelry in.

6:01 And Amen. She got so upset with me that particular day, she threw the jury box out the window. We were living in the townhouse at the time. She threw it from the third floor of that townhouse. Oh, and the window was closed. It was a bad day. It was at that point that I realized I had a problem, that we had a problem. She threw something that she valued and appreciated out the window. By the way, and the jewelry was still in the jewelry box.

6:50 She threw it out the... I told you the window was closed. Did I tell you all that? Oh, yeah. It broke through the window, went down three floors. It was destroyed. And that's when I realized I had a problem. We had a problem. I think I might be doing a little bit better right now today, but it's a problem that a lot of people have. They don't know how to listen. A lot of people are hurting and in pain, and what they desire is for somebody just to listen to their pain. Many of you don't know how to listen.

7:40 Listening is a skill that can be developed. You don't have to be gifted or anointed to listen. You just have to learn how to shut your mouth. I don't know why the claps get lower and lower every time y'all do it. Yeah, and some of the people that you... Here's a problem that church people have. We have a problem. We have an issue. We have a problem with listening because we are thinking of how we're going to respond while the other person is still talking. And did you notice that it might be some kind of indication of how God wants you to respond when you look at the fact that he gave you two ears and one mouth?

8:43 See how the claps are getting lower and lower and lower. It's a need. Now, turn to James chapter 1. I'm going to start off by, I got a few verses I want to read to you today, and I'll be finished. I think I'm going to be finished early today. I got done early at the 8 o'clock service. I might get early done at this service.

9:08 Again, I want you to write down the fact that listening is a skill that can be developed. You can learn to do this. Matter of fact, it's beneficial to you in multiple areas, not only in winning people to the Lord. Instead of arguing and telling them what they can't do and what you believe and what you think they ought to say and what they ought to believe. Instead of you verbalizing, learn to listen to the pain that the person is going through. It's a skill that can be developed.

9:36 I think that's a very important point that I want to make. many relationships have been bruised because somebody didn't know how to just listen relationships have been ended because people didn't know how to listen James chapter 1 and I'm going to read verse 19 and 20 to you this is a powerful verse right here verse 19 and 20 of James 1 it says this so then my beloved brethren let every man be swift to hear slow to speak slow to wrath for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Ooh, that's such a powerful verse right there.

10:22 Let every man be swift to hear quick to listen quick to be all ears quick to receive and understand make an effort to understand swift to hear slow to speak slow to wrath because the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. You're fussing, you're arguing, you're preaching, you're responding, your mouth doesn't make a person do right. Amen. Amen.

10:49 Amen. My challenge today is to challenge you to listen to the person's problems or challenges. Listen. You don't have to give them an answer. See, the church people, they want to give answers. We want to tell people what to do. Your marriage ain't working here. You done been through three marriages, and you're trying to tell somebody else how to fix their one marriage.

11:13 I'm preaching whether y'all saying amen or not. I know I'm on it. You telling somebody how to manage their money and you behind. You parking your car down the street so the repo man won't find it. Can I use your garage? What in the world? You cannot win people to the kingdom by running your mouth. Oh, if you can't clap, say amen. And that's a problem. Too many people have too much energy in their mouth and they have to learn to listen, listen. You do well to listen.

12:11 Some people just want somebody to care enough about their pain and what they're going through to hear how they feel. Here's Proverbs chapter 10. verse 19, jot that down. Proverbs 10, verse 19 says, in the multitude of words, sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise. Ooh, that's a powerful verse right there. In the multitude of words, sin is not lacking. The more you talk, if you keep on talking, you won't eventually say something you ain't had no business saying.

12:57 But if you learn to restrain your lips, if you learn to shut it down, it's wise. Here's Proverbs 17, 27. Jot that down, 17, 27. Here's what it says. He who has knowledge spares his words. and a man of understanding is a calm spirit. That's profound too. He who has knowledge spares his word. He holds his words and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. I think this is profound and true. God wants us to be in a posture or position especially for the people who we want to see one to the kingdom. We can start off by praying for them and number two, listening to what they're paying and issues and challenges are in life.

13:50 Amen. Matter of fact, this is a principle that even works in marriage. Instead of running your mouth at your spouse, ladies, shut it down I see some of y'all killing me with your eyes your eyes are taking me out I didn't say this this is a scripture oh see y'all don't believe me 1 Peter chapter 3. Go to 1 Peter chapter 3. There it is. I'm going to read it to you.

14:39 Let me just read the scripture to you. This is the Bible. The Word of God. Wives, verse 1, 1 Peter 3, 1. Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands that... This is so powerful. Let me slow down. Let me back up.

15:02 We have won a lot of men to the kingdom of God by teaching this verse I'm going to teach you right now. I'm going through right now. By teaching women to shut their mouth. Come on, brothers. Don't leave me hanging out here by myself. It's work, Bobby. It's work, Bobby. It's work. It's work. The brother, look, he all loud because his wife ain't here with him right now. We want a lot of, and this is the truth, if a woman learns to do this, the man ain't got a chance. He's going to get right with God, he's going to get saved, and she just learned. Let me read the scripture to you all right here. Wives likewise be submissive to your own husbands that even if some do not obey the word, That means they're not doing the right things.

15:56 They, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives. Ladies, if you just learn to shut it down, I know it's hard, I know it's difficult, because I know you know the answer before he even knows there's a question on the table to be had. His wife must not be here with him, me too. when they observe, verse 2,

16:41 your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward, arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel. Rather let it be, this is the verse 4, let it be the hidden person of the heart with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. Ooh! Ooh, ooh, ooh. Ooh, ooh, ooh. That is profound. It's powerful. An incorruptible beauty. Doesn't go away, doesn't fade away, it's beautiful. Your physical beauty fades.

17:36 But when you got this kind of beauty, it's incorruptible. It doesn't fade away. Your daddy didn't have the courage to bring it down. Oh my God, oh my God. I was about to make a profound point and that distracted me. The incorruptible beauty doesn't fade away. Your body fades. Your shape fades. Your hair fades.

18:32 But this attitude is incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit gentle and quiet I know it's hard but the scripture gives us clear instruction we have won many men to the kingdom of God in this church by teaching this principle and if ladies if you learn how to do it if you learn how to do this God your husband don't got a chance And then, look, look, look, here's what the Scripture says too, right here at the end of verse 4, which is very precious in the sight of God. A woman who's married to an unsaved man who's not doing right or not obeying the Word, when she shuts her mouth and learns to have a meek and quiet spirit, the Scripture says this is very precious in the sight of God.

19:40 I can't think of no verse that I know of, that I'm aware of, that says something like this about a man. I don't know a verse that says that a man is precious in the sight of God when he's in such situation. I don't know a verse that says that, but it tells a woman, when your husband ain't doing right, if you shut it down, if you close and listen, who I'm preaching today? Let me say amen to myself. Go on and preach, Pastor. Say amen to myself.

20:17 This is such a profound deal. It's so important that we learn to be good listeners. Go ahead and look at your neighbor and say, you got to learn to listen. You know what the truth is? God listened to you. God heard you when you had problems, when you had issues, when you had challenges. He listened to your cry. He heard your pain. And you know what? Here's something the scripture does that I think is profound and amazing. Because in the psalm, you find scriptures where the psalmist often wrote and said, God, you've gone silent. God, you're not responding. God, you're not hearing. No, no. God, that's not true. God always hears our faintest cry. But in fact, what's happening when it appears as though God is not listening, when it appears as though God has forsaken you, you know what's actually happening? In the background, in the heavenlies, God is working things out. He's orchestrating events. He's dispatching angels. He's arranging things. He's creating jobs. He's sending a check, working out stuff to put money in your account. He's sending deliverance to you one way or the other. Somehow or another. When He's gone silent, He done already heard your prayer, and He's working on bringing your deliverance and your breakthrough and your miracle.

21:41 Can I get an amen right there from anybody? We serve a God that wants us to learn how to.