2022.03.20 The End of the World As We Know It: Listen to our Hearts

The End of the World As We Know It: Listen to our Hearts

Psalm 139:1-14 • Ephesians 2:8-10

Before I jump into the meat of the sermon this week, I’m sure you’re wondering what to do with your lists? You brought your lists with you, right?

Well, if you didn’t, that’s okay … as you came in this morning, you should have been handed a slip of paper. If you were here last week, I trust you’ve been praying daily for the people you listed last week, so recalling their names shouldn’t be a difficult task. So, if that’s you … all I want you to do is write your 3-5 names on the slip of paper … please do NOT include last names. God knows their last names, we don’t need to. :)

For those who perhaps missed last week, we talked about actively praying for people in our lives who are unchurched. I encouraged the congregation to each write down 3-5 names and pray for them each morning. Rather than restating the main points of that message, I would encourage you to look on Facebook for the recording. You can fast forward to the message part, it’s okay. :)

In the mean time, think of 3-5 people in your life you would love help discover God’s love: Friends • neighbors • coworkers • acquaintances. If you weren’t here last week, you may need two slips of paper, because I’m going to ask you to bring your papers forward as an offering in a few minutes.

You’ve identified people who do not recognize God’s desire for themselves. They don’t know that Jesus was a gift from their loving God to restore them to his family.

And today’s passages are often used to help a listening audience or congregation realize their value in God. Most of what I’ll say this morning I’ve said in one form or another to you. Today, I want you to hear it differently!

I want you to listen to God’s Word on behalf of the people on your list. I so want you to know how deeply God loves you … but for this morning, I want you to appreciate that God deeply loves the people on your list.

Let’s begin with my favorite Psalm:

Psalm 139 says that God examines hearts and knows EVERYTHING about the people on your list. He knows when they sit and when they stand up. He knows their thoughts and when they move about.

Don’t read any of these passages … just forward onscreen as you read text below.

Psalm 139:4 NLT

4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.

He even knows what they’re going to say before they say it.

Your friends have, no doubt, done some things they wouldn’t want anyone to know about, right? Perhaps your friend has been running away from God in hopes he won’t ‘find them out’. But we all know … it won’t work.

Psalm 139:7 NLT

7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!

They can’t escape, and they’ll never get away.

Psalm 139:8 NLT

8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.

They can run as far as they want … they can even try to hide in death. But our God is there.

Psalm 139:9 NLT

9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

It doesn’t matter where they try to hide… he’s there … and not only is he there...

Psalm 139:10 NLT

10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.

He’s guiding and supporting.

As Christians in the stream of John Wesley, we believe our God doesn’t wait for us to respond before he pours out his grace on us. We believe his grace “goes before” our understanding. Do you remember what that type of grace is called? [Prevenient Grace] We believe God’s grace is already active in the lives of the people on our lists … ALL of them. And his grace is “going before” they have faith in him … to call them back to his family.

Psalm 139:11 NLT

11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—

As you pray for and work for your friend’s salvation … recognize you are NOT acting alone. Your God is already active in guiding your friend to him. He is already supporting them in their life’s situations.

Psalm 139:12 NLT

12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

They can’t hide from him, and he’s following them for their blessing, not to ‘catch’ them doing something wrong.

[pause]

Psalm 139:13 NASB 2020

13 For You created my innermost parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.

Bit by bit, God chose every part that went into making your friend who they are. He picked every strand that wove them together inside.

Psalm 139:14 NASB 2020

14 I will give thanks to You, because I am awesomely and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.

Your friend is an AWESOME WORK OF THE LIVING GOD!

Even after knowing all they’ve done; even after seeing everything they want hidden from him; knowing every part that goes into their being; God’s Word confirms that his creative work in your friend is wonderful.

The Hebrew word here for “works” is ma’a’seh. It is an artistic word … a word that speaks not just of creation, but of creativity, and it’s sometimes translated “workmanship”.

Your friend was awesomely made, and God’s workmanship in them is wonderful. And his artistry is the connection to the Ephesians passage.

When we look at other people, we often want to judge their behavior … not necessarily as a negative, but that’s one of the main ways we know them. And we may find some good in them … but we’ll never find real good.

Ephesians 2:9 NLT

9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Your friend hasn’t earned God’s grace … but they do deserve it. That’s what grace is … we haven’t earned God’s favor. But we all deserve it … only because he said so.

If you’ve been friends for any length of time, your friend has likely done something to make you angry at some point. But you overlooked that offense, or maybe you worked through it in order to remain friends.

God overlooks our sin enough that we aren’t thrown so far away from him that his grace can’t reach us.

Ephesians 2:10 NASB 2020

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Because we are his workmanship … and so is your friend. He is God’s workmanship. The Greek word here is also a creative word. The Greek word is

ποίημα — pŏiēma

—that which is made, work, creation

This creative word is where we get our English creative word “poem”.

Literally, your friend is...

Ephesians 2:10 NLT

10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

We are God’s masterpiece! [pause] Your friend … is God’s masterpiece.

So what?

The End of the World As We Know It: Listen to our Hearts

Why would I spend this time laying out the value of your friend who I’ve never met?

Because I want you to take the next step.

You’ve hopefully spent a week praying for this friend, neighbor, acquaintance, coworker. And we believe God changes things when we pray, right? [“HEARD”] [repeat the last two sentences.]

Now, I want to encourage a next step:

Listen to them.

What?

That’s right. Listen to them.

Okay … if you want more specifics...

Listen to them with care.

In the Children’s message, I demonstrated how we listen to each other. We listen so we can find something to say in response. I’ll listen to your favorite color, but I’m thinking about MY favorite color while you’re talking. That’s not really listening is it?

Now, I know you’ve likely had conversations with them … conversations that are probably related to the way you know them.

You talk shop with coworkers.

You talk neighborhood news with neighbors.

You talk family happenings with family members.

But I want to encourage you to ask real questions about your friend’s spiritual life … and DON’T prepare a response while you’re listening! I’m not saying, “don’t be ready to give a response.” I’m saying your opportunity to respond shouldn’t be your motivation for listening. Don’t prepare a response while you’re listening. Listen while you’re listening.

Empathize when they share disappointment and hurt. Sympathize when they share confusion or misunderstanding. You are NOT their handyman. So do not try to fix them.

God didn’t send you to “fix” this person. He sent you to LOVE this person. And God knows that if you listen to their story … you’ll be in a better position to love them.

You’ve spent a week praying for them. If you don’t have built in opportunities to have this type of a conversation, perhaps this week you need to schedule a time to sit down and ask them about their faith experience. And don’t share anything about your faith experience, until they ask you.

“You know, friend, we’ve talked a lot about work stuff. But I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything about your spiritual life. Were you brought up around church stuff at all?”

AND LET THEM TALK!!!

If there’s a gap in their story, feel free to ask questions about their experience. “Wow. How did that make you feel?” “Was that exciting?” “Did that hurt?” “How do you feel about that now?”

Ask questions about THEM, rather than just the facts of their experience. It will open them to deeper sharing, and it will demonstrate that you care about them more than you care about trying to explain away their bad experiences or capitalize on their good ones. You just simply care about them, and want to know them better.

Don’t be surprised if they ask you about your story if they’ve been willing to tell you theirs … that’s a great opportunity, but it should not be your motive for asking for their story.

You’ve been praying for them this past week. Now, keep praying for them & call them this afternoon and invite them sit down over a cup of coffee or a soft drink somewhere. If they ask why, tell them you’d like to get to know them a little better. Ask … and listen.

If the God of the universe cares enough to follow them wherever they go; call them his masterpiece; and want them in his family … surely they’re worth the awkwardness of inviting them to coffee and spending an hour or so of your time. You want them to experience God’s love, right? [HEARD]

Step 1 - Begin with prayer

Step 2 - Listen with care

The End of the World As We Know It: Listen to our Hearts

We may have asked God many times: “Listen to our hearts”. Today, I’m asking you … on behalf of your friends … “Listen to our hearts”.

As a response today: I want to invite you to bring your list forward, and place it in this offering plate. Again, first names only, please. During our song of invitation, please come forward just like you do for Communion, and drop your list in this offering plate. We’ll put it on the Communion Table as an offering to God. We’ll symbolically put our friends and our availability on the table as an offering to God. We’ll pray for each other when we see this plate, and we’ll pray for God to continue to soften their hearts and give opportunities for a response to his love and grace.

If you’re watching online, you can type your names (first names only, please) in the comments, or you can email them to us. We’ll print out those names and make sure they’re placed in the plate, too.

Father, lead us as we respond to your call and bring our friends before you as an offering and as a symbol of our commitment to reach out to them on your behalf. Help us speak to you for them … and speak to them for you. Amen.