HOW’S YOUR RECEPTION?

Matt 11:15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Matt 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Matt 13:43b Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Acts 3:22-23 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of
your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come
to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

Heb 3:7-15
7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not
known my ways.
11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness
of sin.
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

Rev 2:7a He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;

Rev 2:11a He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;

Rev 2:17a He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;

Rev 2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Rev 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Rev 3:13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Rev 13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.

I. GOD SPEAKS TO US NOW ONLY THROUGH HIS SON.

A. Declared so by God.
1. Matt 17:1-5 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up
into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his
raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with
him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us
make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake,
behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

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 2. Heb 2:1-4 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest
at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every
transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we
neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed
unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and
with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

B. Declared so by the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures.

1. Heb 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the
prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things,
by whom also he made the worlds;

2. John 1:1-2; 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and
we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

II. IMPORTANCE OF THE WORD EMPHASIZED BY JESUS CHRIST.

A. The word is from God.
1. John 17:17-26
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the
world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast
sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my
glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou
hast sent me.
26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may
be in them, and I in them.

2. John 12:46-50
46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to
save the world.
48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken,
the same shall judge him in the last day.
49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should
say, and what I should speak.
50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said
unto me, so I speak.

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III. WE HAVE TO LOVE THE TRUTH.
A. Or else we perish.
1. 2 Thess 2:8-12
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall
destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of
the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

2. Hos 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge : because thou hast rejected knowledge, I
will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I
will also forget thy children.

B. Stand in awe of God’s word.

1. Ps 119:158-162
158 I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word.
159 Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness.
160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.
162 I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.

IV. THE WORD PROVIDES US THE WAY TO STAND UPRIGHT BEFORE THE LORD.
A. It is escape from iniquity.
1. Ps 119:133-138 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts. Make thy face to shine upon thy
servant; and teach me thy statutes. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.
Righteous art thou, O LORD, and upright are thy judgments. Thy testimonies that thou hast
commanded are righteous and very faithful.

B. It is the way of salvation.

1. Rom 10:8-17
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith,
which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised
him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call
upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of
whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that
preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

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 C. It is our only source of hope.
1. Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we
through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

2. Col 1:5-6 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word
of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as
it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

3. 1 Peter 3:15-16 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to
every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good
conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely
accuse your good conversation in Christ.

IV. THE WORD IS THE ONLY WAY TO STAY UNDEFILED.

A. Seek God with our whole heart.
1. Ps 119:1-11
1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.
4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.
7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.
8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.
9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word .
10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

B. Do not be again entangled in the world.

1. 2 Peter 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of
the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is
worse with them than the beginning.