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Communication
Does it ever feel like an impossible task?
You say one thing, they hear another.
They react to what they thought you said and you react to their reaction and that’s when things really get crazy.
Right?
As followers of Jesus, we understand intellectually that God’s Word has the answers for everything.
We give mental assent to the idea that everything we need to navigate life is given to us in the Word of God.
The problem is that we still tend to act and react according to our fleshly nature and habits instead of how the Word of God directs us to.
When we are in the middle of a conflict it is difficult to stop and think Biblically.
Instead, we often react according to our fleshly nature.
One of the most difficult things to do in life in general and communication in particular is listen well.
That is our topic tonight.
Listen Well To Others
Our passage tonight is Matthew 9:27-31.
Before we go there, lets look at an Biblical example of someone who didn’t stop and think Biblically.
Jonah 1:1-3; 4:2
We know the story.
Jonah’s ship gets caught in a severe storm.
The sailors cast lots, find out its Jonah.
He eventually gets them to throw him overboard.
He’s swallowed by a whale and eventually spit back out.
He goes to Nineveh, preaches repentance and they repent and God doesn’t destroy them.
Now we look at Jonah’s response.
Jonah knew the Lord's grace and mercy.
He didn't understand God's discipline.
Jonah didn’t listen to God.
He reacted in his flesh instead of thinking Biblically about Who Scripture reveals God to be.
Here is a huge key to communication.
Stop to listen and think before responding.
Observe what Jesus did
What we are going to look at tonight is…
5 Principles that help us to listen well.
Alright, let’s look at Matthew 9.
Matthew 9:27-31
READ vv.
27-28a
If we are going to listen well to others, they need to be able to say something to us.
This means that we need to be approachable.
They need to know that they can come and talk to us about anything.
So here is our first principle.
Approachability Is A Must vv.
27-28a
We cannot listen well if people are not talking.
People will not talk if we are not approachable.
Consider what happens here.
Jesus is followed by these blind men.
Not only that, they are continually crying out “Son of David, have mercy on us!”
Then, they follow Jesus into the house he is staying at!
How many of us would be annoyed at this point?
We may even accuse them of nagging.
They must have understood that Jesus was safe.
Jesus is someone they can talk to.
This leads us to ask the question of ourselves.
Am I approachable?
Are we?
Do our spouses, our children, our friends feel comfortable coming to us with disagreements and potential conflicts?
How many want their children to come to them with problems?
Raise your hand.
If that is what we want, we must react very carefully anytime they bring something to us or we hear something.
All it takes is one wrong response to slam this door shut!
Let me be really vulnerable with you.
This is an area of struggle for me.
Only recently have I been learning that my responses have made it difficult for Jess to even ask me for help with things.
I may say “okay” but I say it in such a way that it clearly indicates I don’t want to do it.
Or, I may answer a question but my tone implies that it is something she should have known.
Eventually, these kinds of responses make her not want to bring anything up to me anymore.
That’s not where we want to live!
Failure to be approachable pushes others away.
Approachability is a must!
Be approachable.
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