First Lutheran Church
October 3, 2021
“A Listening Heart”
1 Kings 3:3-9
Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David; only, he sacrificed and offered incense at the high places. The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the principal high place; Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?”
John 10:1-10
‘Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.’ Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So again Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Sermon
I talk to God all the time, and I believe that God speaks back to me, - all of the time. However, it’s not always that easy to understand and recognize that communication, what’s going on, what’s truly being said, and what’s being heard. So it is that I pray the prayer of King Solomon, a prayer for an “understanding mind,” for “wisdom, ”for “a listening heart. ”Please sing this prayer with me.
Give me a listening heart, A quiet place to pray
Open up my soul, That I might hear your voice this day
Spirit of wisdom, Pour yourself on me
That I might know your will, That I might be free
1 Kings 3:3-9
In today’s Old Testament reading Solomon famously asks for wisdom, translated in the NRSV as an “understanding mind. ”According to the original Hebrew Solomon asks for “lebhshomea,” which is translated literally as “a listening heart.” So it is that wisdom, discernment, self-understanding, and vocation (the understanding one’s calling in life) begin with the practice of listening from the heart. So it is that we gather today to read scripture, sing spiritual songs, and listen for a word from God, a Living Word; so it is that we lean in with “a listening heart.”
Unfortunately, in our very loud world it can be hard to listen faithfully. So many people and institutions claim to be the voice of God. There’s so much noise. I’m reminded of the story of Elijah, who was waiting on a word from the Lord. As he waited a powerful wind rushed by, that was followed by a great earthquake, and then a firestorm. And in all that noise, all that power, all that chaos – God did not speak. And then came the sound of “a gently blowing,” and in “a still small voice;” God spoke, and Elijah heard.
Give me a listening heart, A quiet place to pray
Open up my soul, That I might hear your voice this day
Spirit of wisdom, Pour yourself on me
That I might know your will, That I might be free
1 Kings 3:3-9
In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us that sheep are able to recognize the voice of the shepherd, they are able to distinguish it from the voice of a stranger, “and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from [them] because they do not know the voice of strangers. ”In this teaching Jesus implies that those who follow him will recognize his voice, and they will be able to discern the voice of a stranger, a voice that might lead them astray.
So how good are you at recognizing voices? Let’s test you!
(At this point in the sermon Pastor Greg will be playing audio clips of people the congregation knows and people the congregation does not know, asking them to identify the person by their voice. Each voice will say, “Hey, come over here, I want to show you something.”)
We can be pretty good at recognizing voices, but how good are we at recognizing God’s voice? Once again so many people are claiming to be the voice of God in our life. Politicians, Celebrities, Pastors; Facebook, Twitter, and TV; Ancient Religions, Established Traditions, Modern-Day Conspiracies! So many competing voices, so many conflicting absolutes, so many and so loud and so confusing. I am pretty good at recognizing some voices but recognizing the voice of God is not always easy.
Give me a listening heart, A quiet place to pray
Open up my soul, That I might hear your voice this day
Spirit of wisdom, Pour yourself on me
That I might know your will, That I might be free
1 Kings 3:3-9
So how do we recognize and discern the voice of God? This morning I offer you three suggestions; know your scriptures, practice good theology, and listen with faithful people who do faithful things.
Begin by knowing your scriptures, know what Jesus teaches and what Jesus does. And please notice I did not say memorize the scriptures. As Lutherans we are not fundamentalists, we do not read the scriptures literally, we take the scriptures seriously. So it is, we are called to study the scriptures, and embrace the truths about the love of God as revealed in the scriptures. Luther reminds us that studying the scriptures is not easy, and that the scriptures can at times be in conflict. So it is that ultimately, we understand the scriptures in the light of the cross, in the light of grace and mercy, in the light of sacrificial love. Luther encourages us to error on the side of grace and love, for grace and love is how the story always ends with God. Recognize the voice of God by knowing the story of God’s grace and love, the story found in your bible.
Practice good theology! Luther taught that it was the duty of every Christian to be able to distinguish the difference between the law and the gospel and to put each in its appropriate place. They both can be the voice of Christ, but they must be understood differently. The law serves only to lead us to Christ, it does not save us, nor is it do be used to define us. It does not belong in our hearts. It is only the Gospel that saves us, and it is only the Gospel that should define us, and it is only the Gospel that we should allow into the depths of our hearts. The true voice of God may come to warn you, to turn you around, but it never comes to shame you, it never comes to destroy you. The Living Word of God, the voice of God, comes to give life, life abundant and life eternal. Cling to the voice that saves you and not the voice that condemns you.
And finally, listen with your heart in community. Faith does not belong to the individual alone, it comes to life in community. Discerning the voice of God, the word of Christ demands the perspective and insights of others, others who gather, listen, and respond to the voice of God. Place yourself in the midst of faithful people doing faithful things, and listen, ask questions, share our insights. Be open to the insights of others, be very open to the insights of others who are different than you, make sure your faith community is diverse, even uncomfortably diverse. And engage in what I like to call “holy conversations,” and together you will hear and be able to discern the voice of God.
This morning God invites us to listen with our hearts, that we might hear and understand: the voice of the Good Shepherd, that we might be faithful and wise in our life, that we might know the ways of God, that we might be set free in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Give me a listening heart, A quiet place to pray
Open up my soul, That I might hear your voice this day
Spirit of wisdom, Pour yourself on me
That I might know your will, That I might be free
1 Kings 3:3-9
Amen!