What it Takes to Rule Nations
William Kinney
“Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 2:25-29
It is fair to say that we often do not hear the Word too well. When we hear the Word and hear something the preacher says that offends (maybe even convicts) us, we close our ears. We might even start looking at our cell phones or strike up a conversation with the person next to us to distract us from what God wants us to hear.
What happens when we “turn off our ears” and blatantly disregard what God wants us to hear? According to Scripture, a few events occur when we stop hearing the Word of God. Romans 10:17 (NASB) states, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Our faith is built up by hearing the Word of God, and the more faith we have, the more we yearn for the listening and doing of God’s Word. On the contrary, when we stop listening to the Word, we constrict our faith, which eventually leads to the hardening of our hearts. When this happens, I believe Proverbs 28:9 (NASB) comes into play, “One who turns his ear away from listening to the Law, Even his prayer is an abomination.” The “one who turns his ear away” is somebody who has entirely stopped listening to the Word and the Holy Spirit’s convictions. Their prayers are an abomination to God. That is a scary thought! It makes my heart race to even think about God truly disgusted by my prayers. However, when we are hearers and doers of the Word, God promises us in Revelation 2:26-27, that we will receive the reward of ruling nations beside Jesus after His return.
So how do we avoid hardening our hearts and making sure our prayers bring glory to God? First and foremost, we need to believe and have faith that God placed us in the specific location where we are hearing the Word of God for a reason. Without that, we will not get anything from the sermon, social discussion, or Growth Community. Secondly, we need to build our active listening skills. Active listening takes practice, and the few guidelines to practicing are to listen attentively to the speaker, understand what they are saying, respond and reflect on what is being said, and retain the information for later. Practicing these four skills will allow the preacher, friend, or group leader to pour into our lives and soul from God. Also, try to take notes throughout a sermon, and review the notes sometime after the gathering, which will allow for more meditation and reflecting on the Word. I want to lay out a challenge! Instead of not listening and turning our ears away from the Word, let us hear the Word. Let us always turn our ears toward Christ and His grace when we are convicted. Let us choose to turn that conviction into action as we actively participate in God’s purpose for our life.