Lord, Grant Me A Hearing Heart

by Pastor Edwin Lehmann on August 8, 2020 in

Sermon for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost                                                                                                  August 9, 2020
Text: 1 Kings 3:4-12                                      CW 3 Year Series A                                                                20:2207
Theme: Lord, Grant Me A Hearing Heart

“Ask for whatever you wish, and it will be given to you!” Perhaps you have heard stories about kings who talked like that. In the Bible King Xerxes said that to Queen Esther. King Herod said that to Salome who danced at his birthday party. You hear of that in children’s stories, or in the Make a Wish Foundation. However, I would guess that no king has ever said that to you. But suppose that one would. “Ask for whatever you wish, and it will be given to you.” For what would you ask?
King David’s son, Solomon, heard those words while he was sleeping. He heard them in a dream that God sent him. He was a young man, just starting out as king, in his late teens or early 20s –young, inexperienced. At the death of his father David, he had been thrust from the safe confines of home-life onto the throne of Israel, a rather lonely, pressure-filled place. His father was dead. He could not advise him anymore or help him make important decisions. There were many enemies around him, even some of his brothers who sought to kill him and take away the throne.
Outside the palace was the great nation of God’s people, Israel, from whom the Savior was to come. Critical judgments, vital things confronted him. Gone were the carefree, even careless days of his youth. Every word he spoke had to be weighed carefully for at his word thousands of soldiers and citizens might live or die. The burden of an entire nation rested on his shoulders. Maybe that awe-filled responsibility frightened him. But this was not by accident. God’s hand was present, driving the state of the world forward. Only one Person could help a man who sits on a lonely throne, the One who has said, “My grace is sufficient for you, because my power is made perfect (reaches its goal) in weakness” (2Co.12:9).
In God’s world nothing happens by accident. There is divine method behind everything. Even when our eyes can’t see it and it seems like everything is falling apart and turning out badly in our lives, Paul reminds us who believe in Christ: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose” (Rm.:8:28). “According to His purpose”- that means your life fits into His master plan to save you.
Think of it along the lines of an assembly line in an automobile
manufacturing plant. Like a car, the lives of those called to follow Christ are in different stages of progress. He is closely watching and making sure that everything coincides, every part fits together perfectly, piece by piece, step by step, as He, in His eternal omniscience, knows best. That assembly line of our lives in Him won’t end until you cross the threshold of heaven. But the design is already in motion to save you. Even though you can’t see the finished product, it’s as good as done for those who look to Christ.
What an astonishing comfort it is to know that God has a design and we “are called according to His purpose.” With that knowledge it is easier to accept troubles as well as blessings. All things work together for the good of those who love God. That’s divine agency. Although you do not readily see it, God has promised it. We will laugh in our good times and cry in our sad, but all is part of God’s gracious direction for us in Christ, until it reaches the goal with Him above. A young, inexperienced king needed that assurance.
An assembly had been called in Israel. All the officials and people met with Solomon at the great bronze altar, built for the tabernacle worship of Moses’ day, over 400 years before this. The temple had not yet been constructed in Jerusalem. A day of worship and sacrifice by all marked the beginning of Solomon’s reign. It was much like a combined inauguration and Thanksgiving Day at the same time, as all of Israel looked to the Lord for guidance.
Late at night, after the worshipers left, Solomon laid down to sleep. God appeared to him in a dream and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
What does a young king want most? Wealth? Power? Long life? Protection from enemies? Solomon was human. Such thoughts probably passed through his mind. But they were not what he treasured most.
Overwhelmed, grateful that God appeared to him with this offer, he responded: “O God, You have been so good to my father David – merciful and faithful to him during all his years. And now You have made me king in his place. I am no wiser than a little child. I do not know how to rule in the midst of Your people, those whom You have chosen out of all the nations on earth – so many people that no one can count. Give to your servant a perceptive heart to judge your people, to distinguish between good and evil, for who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”
Do you think Solomon was worried about failure? Perhaps a bit,
but from a totally different perspective from most people.
We worry about failure from the standpoint of how other people will look at us. We worry about failure from the standpoint of how much it will cost us. We worry about failure from the standpoint of fear that doesn’t want to have to start all over again. None of that lay in Solomon’s mind. His heart did not fear for what people would think of him, but for how things would turn out for God’s people under his leadership. Would he lead them in the right way?
This was not about Solomon. This was about the Lord and His people from whom the all-important Savior would come. As he thought of that great responsibility, Solomon felt like a little child who has little sense of direction and is always asking, “Are we there yet? Are we done yet?” He felt like a child who doesn’t know the difference between right hand and left hand and which way to turn. He felt he had no experience just like a child doesn’t. How could he know what was best for God’s people – the people from whom the Savior would come? So, what did Solomon ask for?
Usually people respond by saying, “Wisdom; Solomon asked for wisdom to walk in God’s ways.” True. But it’s how he said it that counts. He actually asked for “a hearing heart” – “a heart with ears.” What is a “hearing heart”?
A hearing heart, a heart with ears is one that listens before it speaks. It’s one that makes a judgment, a decision, and takes a direction not on the basis of one’s own thoughts, but on the grounds of what he has heard from someone else. It’s one that is motivated to act out of love and compassion, and according to that which is right. For that to happen one has to be listening – listening first to what God says. How difficult that is for us who so often speak before listening and turn to our own thoughts rather than to God’s intended purposes.
Later, in a psalm, Solomon confessed this truth about looking first to the Lord and His ways: “If the LORD does not build the house, it is useless for the builders to work hard over it. If the LORD does not watch over the city, it is useless for the watchman to stand guard” (127:1). All things depend on Him. Unless the Lord does it and approves, all of man’s work in the end is empty; it is labor done in vain. So, to do what was good and right, Solomon needed open ears and a heart that was in tune to God’s Word.
“Lord, Grant Me a Hearing Heart to walk in your ways, for Your glory and for the good of Your people.”
The Lord was happy with that prayer. He promised, “I will give you a wise and (hearing) discerning heart. In addition, I will give you what you have not asked, if you walk in my ways and keep my statutes and commands. Then I will give you long life.” And what did Solomon do when he awoke? He worshiped the Lord again. In grateful devotion for God’s grace, he set his heart on the Lord.
This is what Solomon did. He started his life’s work giving thanks for God’s goodness, recognizing his own weakness and inability, and asking the Lord for a hearing heart to walk in God’s ways. Like Jesus admonished in the Gospel Lesson today, Solomon sought the treasure of God’s Kingdom. He longed for it like the most precious of pearls, for to that Kingdom the Savior would come and the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith alone would be proclaimed. Only a heart with ears that hears and is in tune with God’s eternal purposes recognizes that value which lasts forever.
Of all the things we could ask, Lord, Grant Us Hearing Hearts that thank You for Your goodness and seek to walk in Your ways, trusting that You make “all things work together for the good of those who love You, for we are called according to Your purpose, justified in Christ, and one day in that faith shall be glorified with You above.” God grant it to us for Jesus’ sake. Amen.


Zion Lutheran Church of Springfield

(A member congregation of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod)

4717 S Farm Rd 135 (Golden Avenue)

Church phone:   417.887.0886                         Pastor’s cell phone: 417.693.3244

www.zionluthchurch.com                                 email: revelehmann@gmail.com

 The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost                   August 9, 2020

 The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found ….In his joy, he goes away and sells all that he has and buys that field.Mt.13:44

 F o r   O u r     V i s i t o r s

 The family of Zion welcomes you as we worship the Lord today. We encourage children to worship with us. However, if you need to leave with your child, there is a nursery room to the right as you exit the sanctuary. The rest rooms are located in the hallway between the sanctuary and the fellowship hall. Visitors, please sign our guest book to the right, just outside the sanctuary. We’re glad that you are here and pray that through our worship the Lord grants you peace.

U p o n   E n t e r i n g   G o d’ s   H o u s e

“Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes. Then I will guard it to the end. Give me understanding, and I will guard Your law. I will keep it with all my heart” (Psalm 119:33-34).

W h a t   T h i s     S u n d a y   i s   A b o u t

There’s Nothing More Important…than having the Savior in one’s life! Who can estimate His value for us? That which He did through His suffering, death, and resurrection is of great worth in the present, but will mean even more in eternity. He offers us treasures for time and eternity, and they come to us through the Word.

In that Word He warns, comforts, assures, strengthens, and gives wisdom for life. In short, He saves us through His Word. So it is that Christians highly prize Christ and His rule in their hearts through His Word. There’s nothing more important than the Gospel treasures of salvation that it gives.   We shall do everything we can to retain it and lead others to it.

To that end we pray: O Lord, Your ears are always open to the prayers of Your humble servants, who come to You in Jesus’ precious name. Teach us always to ask according to Your will that we may never fail to obtain the blessings You have promised in Christ; for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

– T h e   W o r d   o f   G o d   f o r   T o d a y –

The Old Testament Lesson: 1 Kings 3:4-12

The Lord offered to give young King Solomon whatever blessing he wanted. In the humility of faith, Solomon did not ask for earthly treasures, honor, or fame.   He requested divine wisdom to lead God’s people rightly.

 The Epistle Lesson: Romans 8:28-30

Here is a most precious gospel promise for troubled hearts. No matter what ails or afflicts us, God knows, God cares, God loves, and God will see it through for our eternal good. There are no accidents in life, neither are there blind twists of fate for those whom God elected, called, justified and glorified.   All works according to His design.   What a precious treasure of faith, to have God’s gracious rule taking us all the way through our lives.

 The Gospel Lesson: Matthew 13:44-52  

Jesus tells the parables of The Hidden Treasure, the Pearl of Great Price, and The Net. In them He admonishes and encourages us to seek His Kingdom above everything in life and to hang on to its Gospel treasures with all earnestness lest we be rejected in the end for our unbelief.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Today’s Organist: Jane Rips    

Today’s Preacher: Pastor Edwin Lehmann

Point to Point: “What is true happiness? If we were to judge by the smiling faces of those who appear in our TV commercials, we would have to conclude that happiness is primarily a matter of getting and having things.   If, on the other hand, we judge by the daily news, we might think that there is no such thing as happiness for so much tragedy appears there. The Word of God tells us that there is such a thing as true happiness, but it is not a product to be sought or bought. Rather, it is a by-product of a gift that God has already given.   He has given His love, His mercy, and His pardon through His Son. Along with these saving gifts, He gives us happiness. It enriches our lives with its treasures now and forevermore.”           –Herman Gockel on “Happiness Is…”

Outline of Our Worship

 Lord, Hear Us

Opening Thoughts on the Service

Entrance Hymn: #204

Order of Worship:   Hymnal page 38“Service of the Word”

Lord, Feed Us

1 Kings 3:4-12

Psalm of the Day: #119b,  Hymnal page 110

Romans 8:28-30

Hymn Response: #429 st.1-3

Matthew 13:44-52

Sermon Hymn: #477

Sermon Text: 1 Kings 3:4-12     Lord, Grant Me a Hearing Heart

Lord, Accept Our Response

 Apostles’ Creed: pg.41

Prayers & The Lord’s Prayer. pg.43

Hymn: #360

 Lord, Bless Us

Closing Prayer & Blessing:

Hymnal pages 43-44

Silent Prayer


 The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost – Series A

 Old Testament Lesson: 1 Kings 3:4-12 – Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom

5The Lord appeared to Solomon in Gibeon in a dream at night.

God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

6Solomon said, “You have shown great mercy and faithfulness to your servant, my father David, just as he walked before you in truth, righteousness, and uprightness of heart toward you. You have shown this great mercy and faithfulness to him and have given him a son who is seated on his throne to this very day. 7O Lord my God, now you have made your servant king in the place of my father David, but I am a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8And I, your servant, am among your people whom you have chosen, a great people, who cannot be counted or numbered because they are so many. 9Now give to your servant a perceptive heart to judge your people, to distinguish between good and evil, for who is able to judge this great people of yours?”

10In the eyes of the Lord, Solomon’s request was good. 11So God said to him, “Because you have asked for this, and you have not asked for a long life, nor have you asked for riches, nor have you asked for the lives of your enemies, but you have asked for discernment to reach just verdicts, 12therefore I will act according to your words. Yes, I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you before you, nor will anyone like you rise up after you.

Epistle Lesson: Romans 8:28-30 – God Works Out All Things for Our Good

28We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose, 29because those God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called. Those he called, he also justified. And those he justified, he also glorified.

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 13:44-52 – The Treasure, the Pearl, the Net

44“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again. In his joy, he goes away and sells all that he has and buys that field.

45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls. 46When he found one very valuable pearl, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48When the net was filled, they pulled it onto the shore. They sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but threw the bad ones away. 49That is how it will be at the end of the world. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous who are among them. 50And they will throw the wicked into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 51Jesus said to them, “Did you understand all these things?”

They answered him, “Yes.”

52He said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law who has been trained as a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure both new things and old things.”

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version® (EHV®) copyright © 2019 The Wartburg Project.


        C a l e n d a r     &     A n n o u n c e m e n t s     f o r     Z i o n     L u t h e r a n     C h u r c h

 

Today

August 9

Mon

August 10

Tues.

August 11

Wed.

August 12

Thurs.

August 13

Fri.

August 14

Sat.

August 15

Next Sun.

August 16

9:00 am

Divine Worship Service

on line – Facebook

 

 

10:15 am

Fellowship

 

 

Pentecost 10

 

 

Some weekly activities are still curtailed.

 

 

 

 

 

No Gardens

Bible Study

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11 am

Midweek Bible Class

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9:00 am

Divine Worship Service

on line – Facebook

Holy Communion afterwards

 

10:15 am

Fellowship

 

 

Pentecost 11

 

A Brief Bible Study on God’s Word for Today

God in heaven has blessed us in untold ways. Take a moment to consider just how many blessings you have. Chances are that most of what you considered was temporal, that is, for this life only. More important than all that, certainly, is our salvation in Christ Jesus, the only blessing that offers us an assurance of life eternal. This blessing is ours through the precious Word of God alone.

The Gospel Lesson: Matthew 13:44-52 (answers are found on the back side)

  1. What do both the hidden treasure and the pearl of great value represent?
  2. The parable of the net teaches of the final judgment. How does its message extend the thought of the first two parables?

 Those We Remember In Our Prayers: Dea Windsor; Barbara Long; Clyde & Sharon Johnson; Angela Meek; Roger & Liz Lisenby’s brother & sister-in-law and granddaughter Jackie; Dave Ballou, at home; Laurie Moon’s father; Greg Miller; Casey Milam & family; Chris Bruck at Cox South in the critical care unit and daughter Jennifer in Dallas with the virus; Felicia Nichols’ brother’s family and father with the virus; Bill Buchanan, recovering at home; Lois Wiese, recovering at home after hospitalization at Mercy.

 Daily Devotions If you would like a hard copy of pastor’s daily devotions for the week past, you will find a few on the credenza in the narthex. If you would like to receive them through text on your cell phone or by email, let him know.

 Forward in Christ’s next edition for August has arrived. Copies may be found in the narthex. Also, the next series of Meditations devotions starting the end of August will be found there.

 New Virus Restrictions Springfield/Greene County passed ordinances requiring face masks in public settings, especially when 6 feet distancing cannot be observed. We are following their request. There are masks, disposable gloves, and sanitizer in the narthex and the fellowship hall for your use should you want them. Please, watch your physical distancing in the service today, not only side to side but also front to back! Wearing a face mask during the service is totally acceptable. We are not passing the offering plate during the service, but it will be found at the door upon leaving.

The Week in Review

Last Sunday’s Worship Attendance: 10; Communed: 8; Adult Bible Class & Sunday School: no classes at this time; The Gardens Bible Class: no class; Midweek Bible Class: 4; Offering: $1,295.

Next Sunday’s Lessons:                                             

Pentecost 11 Series A: Isaiah 55:1-5; Romans 8:35-39; Matthew 14:13-21

Answers to Today’s Gospel Lesson Brief Study:

  1. Each represents the kingdom of heaven, a prize of priceless value. Each parable indicates that nothing else should be considered so highly as to risk losing this most precious possession.
  2. While its main teaching is of the final judgment, this parable implies the importance of our faith in God’s promises. May that faith remain strong so that our stake in the kingdom of God is not lost!

 This week I am praying for……

Pastor Edwin Lehmann

Preacher: Pastor Edwin Lehmann