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Selective Hearing 

Some time ago a hearing aid company was offering free hearing tests.  My wife strongly suggested that I go. Besides, it was free.  Apparently, there were times I had difficulty hearing when she was speaking to me.  So I went and had my hearing checked.

  "What did they say?" my wife asked excitedly.  I could hardly wait to tell her.  "They said my hearing was normal!"  "You better go and have it checked again," she said.

  I chalked it up to selective hearing.  There were times when I have to admit that I wasn't really listening while my wife or someone else was talking to me.  I recall times when I even answered questions but my mind was a thousand miles away - like watching a football game on TV.  Has it ever happened to you?  Selective hearing?

  We can usually get by with a little selective hearing when it comes to our social life or even with our wife or friends.  But there comes a time when we need to be absolutely clear when it comes to hearing.  When it comes to hearing God's Word and hearing what God has to say to us, we need to be 100% alert.

  Did you know that the word hear or hearing occurs over 1,000 times in the Bible?  There are many times when we have to be absolutely sure that we hear exactly what God intends to tell us.

  Here is an example from John chapter 5 shortly after Jesus miraculously healed the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda.  Jesus, the Son of God, our Savior, says, "I tell you the truth, whoever HEARS my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."  (John 5:24)

  Shortly after Peter by the power of the Holy Spirit delivered his famous Pentecost sermon in Acts 2, he and the Apostle John were approached by a crippled beggar looking for a hand out.  Peter told him, "Look at us."  So the man gave them his (undivided) attention.  Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you.  In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."  (Acts 3:4,6)

  Instantly the crippled man was healed and began walking and jumping.  Do you think the crippled man would have been healed had he not listened?

  The result of these amazing words and actions of Peter and the rest of the disciples are explained in Acts 4:4.” Many who HEARD the message believed, and the number of men grew to about 5,000."

  My friends, it is important that we HEAR God's Word regularly.  What would we do if we did not hear and believe words like John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believe in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  No selective hearing allowed here.