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Turned On & Tuned In
Mark 4:24-25 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. 25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath. (KJV)
Prov 8:34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
I. Introduction
A. This message came to me recently when I attempted to tune in to the weather radio station.
1. It did not matter that I simply turned on a weather radio; I found myself walking around the room, searching for a signal, trying to find that “voice” that would tell me what to expect in the weather.
B. There are multitudes of people that are “turned on” to Christianity today; there are millions of people around the world that claim to be followers of Christ.
1. According to the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches report for 2004, there are roughly 161M proclaimed “Christians” in North America alone.
a. This does not include the hundreds of thousands more in the rest of the world!
2. But it’s one thing to be “turned on” to Jesus; it’s another thing entirely to be “tuned in” to what He has to tell you.
C. I wonder are we “turned on and tuned in” today?
II. “Take Heed What Ye Hear”
A. In the New American Standard Bible, this verse reads:
1. Mark 4:24-25 And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it shall be measured to you; and more shall be given you besides. 25 “For whoever has, to him shall more be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.” (New American Standard)
B. We need to be careful of the things that we listen to:
1. Careful of the things that we listen to on a daily basis.
a. Media, radio, gossip, slander, etc.
(1) I really don’t care if Brad & Jennifer are splitting up!
2. But more importantly, we need to be careful of the things that we listen to concerning our salvation!
a. Heb 2:1 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.
b. It is not enough to merely attend church, although I need to stress the importance of being faithful to the house of the Lord.
c. It is not enough to simply be “turned on”, church; we need to be “tuned in” as well.
(1) President Franklin D. Roosevelt got tired of smiling that big smile and saying the usual things at all those White House receptions. So, one evening he decided to find out whether anybody was paying attention to what he was saying. As each person came up to him with extended hand, he flashed that big smile and said, “I murdered my grandmother this morning.” People would automatically respond with comments such as “How lovely!” or “Just continue with your great work!” Nobody listened to what he was saying, except one foreign diplomat. When the president said, “I murdered my grandmother this morning,” the diplomat responded softly, “I’m sure she had it coming to her.”
(2) The sad fact of the matter is that, while everyone was turned on, only one person was really tuned in to what the President had to say!
C. “Unto you that hear shall more be given.”
1. It should go without saying that the only way we can ever grow and develop in GOD is by shutting our mouths and opening our ears!
a. Nobody likes a KIA!
b. One of Peter’s biggest problems was his mouth; in fact, it was Peter’s quick tongue that got him the only recorded personal rebuke from Jesus, when he refused to shut up and listen to what Jesus was trying to tell him!
2. Isa 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
a. The New Living Translation reads thus:
(1) Isa 55:3 “Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, for the life of your soul is at stake.”
b. “A wise old owl lived in an oak; The more he saw, the less he spoke; The less he spoke, the more he heard; Why can’t we all be like that bird?”
III. Hearing, Watching, Waiting
A. Prov 8:34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
1. Notice the pattern here; it involves
a. Hearing
b. Watching
c. Waiting
(1) Again, it is not enough to merely be turned on; it is imperative that you stay tuned in!
(a) On a humorous note, someone once said “Once a man learns how to listen, he and his wife can remain on speaking terms indefinitely.”
(b) There needs to be more fear that we will not hear the Lord than that he will not hear us.
i) Some people go through life worrying that GOD won’t hear their prayers; yet they never give thought to the possibility that they might not hear what GOD has to say to them!
ii) Hear me, Turning Point Church: You need to be “Turned On And Tuned In”!
IV. Conclusion
A. Luke 10:38-39 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
1. I repeat to you this morning what you have heard me say before:
a. You know how strongly I feel about finding a place “at His feet”.
b. But it is not enough to find our place at His feet; it is critical that we “hear His words”.
V. Closing
A. What you haven’t realized this morning is that, the entire time I’ve been preaching, this radio behind me has been turned on, with the volume up to listening level, the entire time.
1. But it was impossible for us to discern anything that was emanating from it because it was not tuned in.
B. I am challenging someone this morning to find your place in GOD’s Presence, and “tune in” to what He has to say.
1. It is not enough to merely be “turned on” to the Master; we must be “tuned in” if we are going to receive the instruction and wisdom that we need to guide us.
