Q6. Chosen One

[rosegarden]

On 12/10/2015 at 2:23 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q6. (Luke 9:35) Since Jesus is God’s Chosen One, what does it mean to “listen to him”? In what ways does your life reflect listening to him? In what ways do you need to heed him more explicitly?

a. & b. Jesus loves me, saved and redeemed me and sent His Holy Spirit to live in me.  I try to be sensitive to listen the voice of the Holy Spirit and to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.   Romans 8:2-4

c. I need to be even more sensitive and to spend quality time in fellowship and praise and worship with Him and not to be distracted, because it is really not Him missing out but me.

[Bianca]

It is very important for me to listen to Jesus because he is also God. If Jesus is truly My Lord and God then I will want to listen to what he has to say about my life and what I'm doing with my life and he has a right to have an opinion about things concerning my life. Jesus also has the right tell me what to do and not to do.

 

My life reflects listening to him by the things I do and my responses to things around me and dealing with other people. Not giving in to sin just because someone else is doing it. If he tells me to study this or that then I do it. To act more like this or that then I need to reflect that in my behavior.

 

A way I need to heed him more explicitly is probably knowing when the best time to say something and when it is not. Sometimes I say the right things but maybe it could have been put in a better way or just said at a another time. But I am getting better at that. It's a journey and I am always growing.

[Krissi]

Since Jesus was chosen by God, the analogy would be that we must choose Jesus ... who was Himself chosen by God. 

"Listen" is often a way of saying "obey." I believe that when we are told to listen to Jesus, we are to obey His words as recorded in Scripture. 

I am not one who gets specific messages from Jesus or the Spirit -- I have not heard His audible voice, received a prophecy, told to heal someone or possess any other of the more "showy" gifts. In fact, I have difficulty hearing the still, quiet voice of the Spirit. But in a sense, I'm hearing,  as I know the truth, but don't always do it; I hear, but don't obey.

It is not difficult for me to set aside a couple hours in the morning to study -- prayer afterward is far more difficult. My mind often wanders. What I hear, then, is my own mind's speech, not His words. This is my biggest problem and one I have not yet adequately solved.

[Niyonka16]

Q6. (Luke 9:35) Since Jesus is God's Chosen One, what does it mean to "listen to Him"?

ANSWER: Since Jesus is God's Chosen One, to "listen to Him”, means we are to be ready to hear His voice speaking to us and be diligent to heed to His Word. One of the defining characteristics of believers is that they recognize the authority of Christ and obey His Word. The reason the sheep follow the Shepherd is because they know His voice. Actual sheep recognize the voice of their own shepherd and will not respond to another. True believers will heed the Good Shepherd’s voice and reject the overtures of false shepherds. Submitting to the authority of Christ is fundamental to the life of faith.

In what ways does your life reflect listening to Him (Jesus is God's Chosen One)?

ANSWER: To reflect Christ in my daily life I must stay connected with God and do what He asks of use, even when it does not make sense in my own understanding. There are five things that I have found that can help me give a  more accurate reflection of God to my life/world:

1. Spend time with Jesus … The more time we spend in intimate fellowship with Jesus, the more His likeness will be transferred to our lives.
2. Invite the Holy Spirit to change you from the inside out … We cannot change ourselves. If we want to be more like Jesus, we must tend our connection with the Vine. If we do, the Fruit of the Spirit will come as a direct result of the His work in our lives. We won’t have to manufacture Christ-likeness.
3. Cultivate a genuine interest in other people … We must ask God to give you a genuine curiosity to know other people better. Also we should ask God for eyes of grace to see each individual as He sees them. And a heart to love them as He does.
4. Be available … We need to nurture a willingness to be interrupted – the kind of willingness Jesus displayed. As well as the “ruthless elimination of hurry”, so that I’m able to stop and tangibly love others – even in the midst of a busy day.
5. Give God all the glory … To be more like Jesus, we need to keep God at the center of all we do. When He works in and through our lives, let’s be sure to give Him the credit. When we mess up and fail, let’s give Him the broken pieces trusting that He will know how to use it all for His glory. In all things and at all times, be quick to give Him praise.

In what ways do you need to heed Him more explicitly?

ANSWER: Ways in which I am to heed Jesus more explicitly is to: … Hear, Hearken, and Heed. Hearken means “to listen with the intent to obey.” To hearken means to “hear Him”, to hear what the Savior says and then to heed His counsel. In these two words, “Hear Him”, God gives me the pattern for success, happiness, and joy in this life. I am to hear the words of the Lord, hearken to them, and heed what He has told me!

Where can I go to hear Him (Jesus)?

1. I can go to the Scriptures.
2. I can hear Him in the temple.
3. I can also hear Him more clearly as I refine my ability to recognize the whisperings of the Holy Ghost.
4. Finally, I can hear Him as I heed the words of prophets, seers, and revelators.

As I continue to intentionally hear, hearken, and heed what the Savior has said and what He is saying through His prophets, I come to the realization that He promises: …

1. I will be blessed with additional power to deal with temptation, struggles, and weakness;
2. miracles in my family relationships and daily work; and   
3. my capacity to feel joy will increase even if turbulence increases in my life.