Can You Hear Me Now?

Sermon Title: “Can You Hear Me Now”

Good News Statement: Jesus reaches us

Preached: Sunday, June 12, 2022 at Dogwood Prairie UMC & Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSV): John 16:12-15 Today’s scripture reading comes from the Book of John chapter sixteen verses twelve thru fifteen. Listen to the words of Jesus as he prepares his disciples for what comes after his ascension…

The Work of the Spirit

16 “I have said these things to you to keep you from falling away, They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them.

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

 

This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”

 

Introduction:

Johnny goes to the Parish revival and listens to the preacher. After a while, the preacher asks anyone with needs to be prayed over to come forward to the front of the church. Johnny gets in line, and when it’s his turn, the preacher asks: “Johnny, what do you want me to pray about for you?” Johnny replies: “Preacher, I need you to pray for my hearing.” The preacher puts one finger in Johnny’s ear, and he places the other hand on top of Johnny’s head and prays and prays and prays. After a few minutes, the preacher removes his hands, stands back and asks Johnny: “Johnny how is your hearing now?” Johnny says, “I don’t know, preacher, it’s not in court until next Wednesday…”

Twenty years ago in 2002, a certain phone company changed the world by having their “Test Man”—their spokesperson—ask a simply question. In 2002, Verizon Wireless, through its TV ads, introduced the world to Paul Marcarelli (Mar-care-llee), who asked “Can you hear me now?” These five words changed the phone industry for the next nine years. However, after retiring that question in 2011, we still find ourselves asking this question today, “Can you hear me now?” Some of you may ask this question to your spouse, to your kids, to a stranger at the Dollar General, to the unknown caller talking to you about your expired car insurance or warranty. As a matter of fact, you ask this question more often than what you may realize.

Moreover, it’s a question that Jesus asks his disciples, us included, before he ascends into heaven. John begins chapter sixteen with these words from Jesus, “But I, Jesus, have said these things to you, the disciples, so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them. I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:4-7). These words are later echoed in Acts chapter one verses one thru eleven as Luke recounts the life of Jesus Christ. Essentially, what Jesus and Luke are attempting to tell the disciples is that they have already received the instructions about what is to come, but they have not heard them, they have not listened, they have been bombarded by worldly sounds. And because of this, Jesus is going to send them “a violent wind” to make sure that they hear him once and for all.

“Can you hear me now,” is a question that Jesus asks all of us, every day of the week, every week of the month, every month of the year, and every year of our life. Some of us may be bold enough to answer “Here I Am” like Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Mary, Ananias, and Paul did when the Lord called upon them. Others of us will shy away because of fear and uncertainty. But that won’t stop the Lord from calling out to you. Jesus wants us to hear him. Jesus wants us to listen to him. Jesus wants us to say, “Yes, Lord; I can hear you now.” But are we listening to Jesus today? Are you listening for Jesus in your life? And are hearing what he is saying?

Opening Prayer:

            Let us pray… Dear Lord Jesus, we are listening. Through your words today, O Lord, help us to listen to what you are calling us to do. Help us to hear your words. May my words fall to the ground as Your words settle in the hearts of all those before me. In your name we pray, Amen.

Body:

I read a blog this past week that listed a few interesting facts about our ears: our sense of balance lies in our ears, the temporal bone—which is the hardest bone in the body—is found in the ear, the ear houses the smallest bone in the body, our ears are always working—even when we are sleeping—we hear music better on our left side and our right ear is more responsive to speech—which side do you find yourself sitting in relation to your spouse—our ears are always growing, and some of us are born with the ability to have selective hearing. In addition to listing these facts, this blog also listed ten noises that are unpleasant to the human ear: a knife scraping against a glass bottle, a fork scratching on a plate, chalk on a blackboard, a ruler on a glass bottle, nails on a chalkboard, a baby crying, an electric drill, rusty swing chains, a person using a wrench, and people chewing with their mouth open. Another article stated that the eleventh most annoying sound is one’s mother-in-law… Our ears could be classified as the eighth wonder of the world: they are sensitive, powerful, and life-changing. They were created by God to hear God’s word.

From the text this morning, Jesus is reminding all of us to use our ears to the best of their ability. After informing the disciples about his ascension into heaven, Jesus simply tells them, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will speak on his own but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:12-13). Jesus has things to tell each of us, but he will only do so when the time is ready. It’s almost as if Jesus is saying, “I am planning a surprise for you. But the only thing I can tell you is that something is going to happen.” When I was in elementary school, my parents planned a surprise party for my tenth birthday. Every day I would ask them what this surprise was; and every day I was told that I couldn’t know. What made it worse is that my siblings all knew the surprise and would tease me every day about it! They would say, “We know something you don’t know!” Jesus is saying the same thing, “He knows something that we don’t know,” but we must be patient, we must be willing to hear what comes next.

To ease some of the disciples’ anxiety about not knowing everything, Jesus provides them with a spokesperson that is to speak the truth and to make sure that the disciples are able to hear what Jesus needs them to hear. The spokesperson that Jesus sends is the Holy Spirit. Last week, we talked about how the Holy Spirit entered the lives and hearts of the one-hundred and twenty disciples who gathered together in a room in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit indwelled their hearts like a “violent wind.” John wrote in chapter twenty of his Gospel, that Jesus breathed on them and they received the Holy Spirit (John 20:21-22). The idea of the Holy Spirit embracing our lives as a form of wind or breath comes from the Hebrew word ruakh which means power or energy. By sending us the Holy Spirit, God is essentially breathing upon each of us so that we can share the good news and learn how to live by the energy and influence of God’s intended order. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit is rushing through our lives, pointing us to Jesus, and transforming and empowering us to live into the presence of God in our life. Jesus, because the disciples are having a tough time hearing what he is telling them, is sending the Holy Spirit to guide them and direct them to where he needs them to go. Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you? Are you “listening to the wind?”

In our text today, Jesus says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13). Jesus asked the disciples, “Can you hear me now?” and because the disciples didn’t respond, he took matters into his own hands. Jesus said, “Here’s how you can reach me. You can reach me through the Holy Spirit who will speak the truth and hear you day in and day out.” Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is within reach.

But more than that, more than just a comforting presence, this Spirit, this connection, this Christ within reach is a Spirit of Truth. It has come to tell us what is and what will be; and to “declare to you the things that are to come.”  Hearing that the Holy Spirit is our advocate of truth and what is to come, does that mean we can make our lottery picks based on hints from this Spirit? Maybe it means we can predict when gas prices will go down or when the stores will never be out of stock or when Amazon two day shipping means two day shipping or when we are going to get that next hole-in-one. Or, more realistically, maybe we can be told when to avoid the potholes on the road of life? How many of you would like to know something about your future? As much as we would like to know about the future, that’s not what Jesus is telling us. As much as we would like to know about the surprises in our life that is not what Jesus is telling us. As much as we would like to know about the potholes in our life that is not what Jesus is telling us. Jesus is telling us about something more profound and truthful.

This isn’t a promise of prophetic powers or a glimpse into the details of a worldly future. This truth that is shared is the truth about the kingdom of God. It is the truth about living in community. It is the truth about reconciliation. It is the truth about forgiveness, about grace and judgment. It is the truth that will set our souls free. It is the truth that will guide our heart. It is the truth that will bring light to the darkness. It is the truth that will show us the way, the life, and the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the truth by which our faith deepens and grows to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. It is the truth that will lead our church towards new beginnings. It is the truth which we need to hear. We may not be able to handle the truth, but it is the truth that we need to hear. This truth is far more important than lottery numbers or getting a hole-in-one. And while it may not give advance warning of circumstantial potholes on your individual roads of life, it can give you tools for climbing your way out of whatever holes you might find yourselves in; it can give you guidance for helping you to stop digging your own potholes and sabotaging yourself and those you love. The Spirit that declares to you the things that are to come is a Spirit that tells you the truth about yourself in such a way that makes you a better disciple today than what you were yesterday. “Can you hear me now” is the question that we need to say yes to in order to receive the truth—the wisdom of God.

Someone said, “Wisdom is knowledge applied” or something like that. Jimi Hendrix once said, “Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.” Philosopher Immanuel Kant once said, “Wisdom is organized life.” And Charles Dickens said, “A loving heart is the truest wisdom.” Wisdom is God’s truth given through the Holy Spirit. In Proverbs 8, however, Wisdom becomes an entity. There is some debate as to the nature of this entity—an aspect of God, an independent being, a creative force, a supportive presence—these verses have given commentators and biblical scholars plenty of scope for debate—much like the discussions of the nature of the Holy Spirit. Needless to say, Wisdom calls, the text declares, and she offers a way to life, the life that God intends for all of us—a life of community and of connection. Wisdom cries out to all who live, “Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, for my mouth will utter truth…All the words of my mouth are righteous…Hear instruction and be wise and do not neglect it” (Proverbs 8: 6-7, 8 , and 33). Wisdom is the truth of God and the truth of God is the Holy Spirit that has taken over our heart and life. The Holy Spirit is God’s presence in our life. God is willing to provide a spokesperson for us until we learn to hear his truth in our life. Until we live out His holy wisdom.

John concludes this section of his Gospel by noting that as long as we listen to what Jesus is telling us, then we gain the special privilege of receiving what Jesus has received. John writes, “He will glorify me because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:14-15). “Can you hear me know” is what Jesus is asking you today. If you can hear Jesus calling out to you, then you can receive his truth. If you can hear Jesus calling out to you, then may you receive the Holy Spirit. If you can hear Jesus calling out to you, then the wind of life will carry you to do great things. If you can hear Jesus calling out to you, then there is nothing that you cannot do. No matter where you go, no matter if you are in a pothole of some sort, no matter if you are too busy to notice the beauty of God’s creation, the Holy Spirit will find you. And once the Holy Spirit finds, there is no separating you from the love and truth that has just entered your life. What belongs to Jesus is now yours. Can you hear Jesus calling out to you?

Conclusion:

On January 12, 2007, two men conducted a social experiment outside an arcade in a Metro subway station in Washington, DC, a little before 8:00AM on a Friday during rush hour. Joshua Bell, one of the world’s great classical violinists, served as the main actor, and Gene Weingarten, a journalist for the Washington Post documented and wrote about it afterward. Bell walked into the subway station wearing jeans, a long-sleeved T-Shirt, and a Washington Nationals baseball cap, a uniform quite different from the formal attire that he normally wears in concert-hall performances. He also brought his $3.5 million violin. Three days earlier, Weingarten notes, “Bell had filled the house at Boston’s stately Symphony Hall, where merely pretty good seats went for $100. Normally, he performs in some of the most prestigious concert halls in the world (The Practices of Christian Preaching (2019), Jared E. Alcántara, 155-156).

After laying out his case for donations and putting in a “few dollars and pocket change as seed money,” Bell started playing. For forty-three minutes, he played breathtaking pieces of classical music. The sound in the Metro that morning must have been glorious. A total of 1,097 people passed through the subway entrance on their way to work. Want to guess how many people stopped to listen to Bell? Seven. Seven people stopped to listen. Just over one half of one percent broke free from the hurried morning commute to listen to the music. Adding insult to injury, only twenty-seven people put money in his case. Joshua Bell makes about $1,000 per minute in concert-hall performances. In his Metro performance debut, he made $32 and some change (The Practices of Christian Preaching (2019), Jared E. Alcántara, 157). A lot of people saw Joshua Bell in the Metro on that early Friday morning, but not a lot of people heard Joshua Bell play his violin. God is the same way: we know he is present in our life, but we don’t always take the time listen to him.

Both the Gospel text and Wisdom depicted in Proverbs describe a God who seeks us, who connects with us, who guides and calls and shapes us, who wants us to hear and listen to him and respond with “Here, I Am. I am listening.” Jesus reveals that God will offer the disciples continuing contact, even once he is no longer present with them in the flesh. Wisdom cries out with the presence of God, if we would but have ears to hear. God desires contact with us; God reaches toward us; God speaks. “In the rustling grass, I hear him pass, God speaks to me everywhere” (“This Is My Father’s World,” UMH 144). We sing that; we believe that; we are sustained by that—by Wisdom’s cry. But are we hearing and listening to God? Jesus has given us a spokesperson to help us receive his breath—to receive the ruakh—the power and energy—of the Holy Spirit. But are we listening to the truth of the Spirit? Are you listening to the music of the artist or the sounds of the busy subway? Are stopping and listening to what God needs us to hear?

In 2002, the world was introduced to a life changing question: “Can you hear me now?” That’s the question of the era, the question to the church today: “can you hear him, hear the truth, hear his voice, and know that we are not alone?” Can you hear Jesus in your life? Remember, your ears never stop listening, so you should never stop listening to the wind of the Holy Spirit in your life. God is calling out “Can you hear me now.” What is your response?

Closing Prayer:

Let Us Pray…Dear Lord Jesus, we are listening. We are listening for your voice, for your word, and for your truth. Lord, we pray that you allow the Holy Spirit to fill our life and to guide us to where we need to go as individuals and as a church. Lord, we pray that you open the ears of those who need to hear your voice. Lord, we are listening. Amen.

 

Benediction:

If God was calling you to stop and listen to him, could you do it? This week, take some time to listen for God, hear Jesus, and receive the truth of the Holy Spirit as it blows across your path. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, go, transforming lives as you live well and wisely in God’s world. Amen. Amen. Amen.


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