LISTEN!

LISTEN!

“Mary also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks…” Luke 10:39-40

In my previous blog post, DID AT FIRST, we began looking at likely the strangest and most difficult book in the Bible, The Revelation. Many authors are captivated, thus held captive, by the symbolism, numbers, and visions therein. But if one spends time within The Revelation without getting lost in the weeds, there is rich theology, powerful teachings, and glorious revelation of, and by, Jesus Christ.

In my study time today through chapters 2-3, the word that struck me repeatedly and most powerfully was, “listen.” Writers have gotten caught up in the meanings of the names of the churches and various other aspects of the book. I’m certainly not discouraging anyone from delving into deep and profitable Bible study, but often times when surrounded by alligators - it’s tough to remember your initial goal was to drain the swamp.

My exercise today was simply to circle the verbs that this majestic “One like the Son of Man” was speaking to John through the power of the Spirit regarding the seven churches.

To Ephesus: Remember, repent, do, and LISTEN!

To Smyrna: Look, be faithful, and LISTEN!

To Pergamum: Repent, and LISTEN!

To Thyatira: Hold on, keep, and LISTEN!

To Sardis: Wake up, remember, keep, repent, and LISTEN!

To Philadelphia: Look, take note, hold on, and LISTEN!

To Laodicea: Buy, be committed, repent, and LISTEN!

After listening to both secular guys like Simon Sinek and pastors like Paul Tripp, it’s pretty clear that we have some major issues and colossal hurdles to overcome today in our culture and churches.

Millennials are NOT the only group on the planet struggling to find joy, satisfaction, and purpose in life. They’ve just expedited the process by taking the technological tools and sociological climate to the same place where everyone lands eventually. Everyone knocks millennials for not knowing how to listen. I think millennials listen just great. The problem is that virtually nobody has anything worthwhile to say.

The Ephesians looked like they had it all together on the outside. Jesus told them, “you have abandoned your first love… LISTEN!”

The church at Smyrna seemed to have it together, but Jesus told them, “Wake up!” and “LISTEN!”

The church at Pergamum seemed to be holding together amid / despite “Satan’s throne” being where they lived! Jesus told them, “Repent!” and “LISTEN!”

To the Thyatirians had works, love, faithfulness, service, and endurance, but Jesus said, “you tolerate the woman Jezebel” and told them “Hold on” and “LISTEN!”

To the church at Sardis Jesus said, “You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.” Then He told them, “Be alert… remember… hold fast… repent” and finally, “LISTEN!”

The one church that didn’t get roasted was the one at Philadelphia. Because of their authenticity Jesus said, “Look, I have placed before you and open door that no one is able to close.” Jesus told them to “take note” of what He was about to do, and finally to “LISTEN!”

The harshest chastisement comes to the final church in Laodicea. Jesus told this group of wishy-washy religious sycophants “Because you are lukewarm and neither hot or cold, I am going to vomit you out of My mouth.” The LORD subsequently advised them to “buy gold refined in the fire so that you may be rich,” and with that gold they could purchase fine white garments without stain and ointment “to spread on your eyes so that you may see.” Finally, after Jesus tells them to be committed, and to repent, He says, “LISTEN!”

We are inundated with incoming junk 24/7. Music, podcasts, TV, movies, chats, photos, insta-this, immediate everything, and countless apps and posts to keep up with. It’s not just the millennials who are failing epically at social skills and meaningful relationships - it’s a cross-generational and cultural pandemic.

Millennials didn’t create the environment we all live in today. No, they simply live in, and have perfected, a purposeless existence in this industrialized, extended adolescence, technologically advanced, instant gratification world, which previous generations worked so hard to foster. Yay us. Well, now we have it.

So what now? The short, and biblical, answer is “LISTEN.”

To do that, i.e. to “LISTEN,” we have to build margin back into our lives and stop being perpetually busy with simply being busy. A guy says to his friend, “Wow! You sure are moving along! Where you headed?” Friend responds, “I have no idea, but I’m flying now!” We’re incredibly efficient at being superficial and flavorless. Life is bereft of taste because we’ve selfishly strip mined and over farmed its landscape for personal gain rather than community growth and universal blessings.

I don’t put any stock in New Year’s resolutions, but maybe this year you and your family make a pledge to turn off electronic devices after 6pm, have a family game or hobby night and invite over some of your kids’ friends or neighbors, pray together with your family outside of the obligatory meal prayer, talk at dinner time, worship together, but most importantly “LISTEN to what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Listening does NOT come from Pandora, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, or Amazon Prime. Listening can only come in times of quiet solitude as we marinade ourselves in - and meditate on - God’s holy Word.

The one message Jesus had for ALL the churches in The Revelation was “LISTEN!”

“Mary also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks…” Luke 10:39-40

Maybe this year, like Mary, we can begin to be more intentional about carving out time to sit at Jesus’ feet rather than being caught up in all the passing and insignificant formalities of life like Martha.

Blessings,

-Kevin M. Kelley

aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com