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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.
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’.
It won’t work.
They can’t escape, and they’ll never get away.
They can run as far as they want … they can even try to hide in death.
But our God is there.
It doesn’t matter where they try to hide… he’s there … and not only is he there...
He’s guiding and supporting.
As followers 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.
We call that Prevenient Grace.
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.
They can’t hide from him, and he’s following them for their blessing, not to ‘catch’ them doing something wrong.
[pause]
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.
Your friend is an AWESOME WORK OF THE LIVING GOD!
Even after knowing all they’ve done; even after seeing everything they want hidden; knowing every part that goes into their being; God’s 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 God’s 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.
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.
We 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.
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 creative word “poem”.
Literally, 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.
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.
Now, I know you’ve likely had conversations with them … that are probably related to how 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 reason 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 aren’t the handyman.
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 times 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, we’ve talked a lot about work stuff.
But I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything about your spiritual life.
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