Never Has a Man Spoken the Way This Man Speaks - Ajay Chakravarthy - April 12, 2020
http://rlcfchurch.org/never-man-spoken-way-this-man-speak River of Life Christian Fellowship 1306 N Lincoln Avenue Loveland, Colorado - 80537, USA
Summary
The speaker emphasizes that God speaks to us through specific words, warning that spiritual deafness or preoccupation with worldly approval can cause us to miss these divine messages. He draws parallels from scripture, noting that the devil attempts to steal the 'word of the kingdom,' and that God may use difficult circumstances, like adversaries, to capture our attention when we are spiritually drifting. The core message is to remain attentive to God's specific word.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
How does God speak to us today?The speaker ponders how God gives specific words to individuals, noting that just as someone hard of hearing might miss a physical train approaching, spiritually deaf people miss God's warnings.
Why do people fail to understand Jesus?Looking at Matthew 13, the speaker contrasts the crowds who only heard parables with the disciples who received understanding, noting that spiritual dullness prevents people from perceiving God's message.Matthew 13:1
The danger of loving human approvalReferencing John 12, the speaker explains that people fail to believe because their hearts are hardened and they love the approval of men more than the approval of God.
The devil's tactic to steal the word of the kingdomThe speaker notes from Matthew 13 that the devil specifically tries to take away the heavenly word of the kingdom that brings life, much like God warning Cain about sin crouching at the door.Matthew 13:19
God using circumstances to get our attentionWhen Solomon and others refused to listen, God raised up adversaries as pressures to turn their hearts back to Him.1 Kings 11:9
Never has a man spoken the way this man speaksIntroducing the core theme from John 7:46, the speaker invites listeners to examine the lives of four individuals and what God spoke to them.John 7:46
The testimony of the centurion's servantThe servant describes how Jesus healed his physical paralysis from afar because his master trusted Jesus' authority, and how he later found rest for his soul and freedom from inner anxieties.
The testimony of the grateful leperOne of the ten lepers shares how Jesus cleansed his skin and how returning with gratitude healed his hard, insensitive heart, fulfilling the promise of a heart of flesh.
The testimony of Mary, the mother of JesusMary recounts treasuring Simeon's prophecy about a sword piercing her soul, experiencing the painful separation when Jesus drew lines between earthly family and His heavenly Father's will, and ultimately becoming a disciple.
The testimony of John the apostleJohn reflects on his past rivalry with Peter for greatness and first place among the disciples, and how encountering the resurrected Lord cured him of competition, teaching him to find fulfillment in God's grace alone.
