Experiencing the Words of Jesus: Trusting His Voice, Hearing His Heart

EXPERIENCING

the WORDS of

Jesus

EXPERIENCING

the WORDS of

Jesus

HEARING HIS VOICE

TRUSTING HIS WORDS

MAX LUCADO

EXPERIENCING the WORDS of Jesus

Copyright © 2008 Max Lucado.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The New King James Version, copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Other scripture references are from the following sources: The King James Version of the Bible (KJV). The Living Bible (TLB), copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Ill. All rights reserved. The Message (MSG), © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. New Century Version® of the Bible (NCV). Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991, 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. The Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT). Copyright © 1996 by Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois, 60189. All rights reserved. J. B. Phillips: The New Testament in Modern English, Revised Edition (PHILLIPS). Copyright © J. B. Phillips 1958, 1960, 1972. Used by permission of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. Revised Standard Version of the Bible (RSV), copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971, 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. Good News Bible: The Bible in Today’s English Version (GNB). © 1992 by the American Bible Society.

Printed in the United States of America

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CONTENTS

Introduction

Lesson One: He’s Calling

Day 1 – Come and see

Day 2 – I will make you fishers of men

Day 3 – My sheep hear my voice

Day 4 – You must be born again

Day 5 – For God so loved the world

Lesson Two: He’s Astonishing

Day 1 – My hour has not yet come

Day 2 – Give them something to eat

Day 3 – Come

Day 4 – Take courage

Day 5 – Move the stone away

Lesson Three: He’s Teaching

Day 1 – All authority has been given to me

Day 2 – He who has ears, let him hear

Day 3 – It is written

Day 4 – The Helper will teach you everything

Day 5 – What are you talking about?

Lesson Four: He’s Forgiving

Day 1 – I am the Messiah

Day 2 – Only one thing is important

Day 3 – All that I have is yours

Day 4 – Go and sin no more

Day 5 – You will be with me

Lesson Five: He’s Still Speaking

Day 1 – Come unto me

Day 2 – Abide in me

Day 3 – Serve one another

Day 4 – Don’t be afraid

Day 5 – Behold your son

Lesson Six: He’s Reassuring

Day 1 – Why are you crying?

Day 2 – Touch and see

Day 3 – Peace be with you

Day 4 – Did you catch any fish?

Day 5 – Well done

INTRODUCTION

The Simple Sentence

Jesus’ ministry on this earth lasted only three and a half years, yet in that time his words turned heads, turned hearts, and ultimately turned the world upside down.

Here’s a toast to the simple sentence.

Here’s a salute to one-liners.

Join me in applauding the delete key and the eraser. May they feast on the trimmings of the writer’s table.

I believe in brevity. Cut the fat and keep the fact. Give us words to chew on, not words to wade through. Thoughts that spark, not lines that drag. More periods. Fewer commas.

Distill it.

Barebone it.

Bareknuckle it.

Concise (but not cute). Clear (but not shallow). Vivid (but not detailed). That’s good writing. That’s good reading. But that’s hard work!

But, it’s what we like. We appreciate the chef who cuts the gristle before he serves the steak. We salute the communicator who does the same.

Ahhh, brevity. An art apparently unheeded in the realms of insurance brochures and some-assembly-required bicycle manuals.

We learn brevity from Jesus. His greatest sermon can be read in eight minutes (Matthew 5–7). His best-known story can be read in ninety seconds (Luke 15:11–32). He summarized prayer in five phrases (Matthew 6:9–13). He silenced accusers with one challenge (John 8:7). He rescued a soul with one sentence (Luke 23:43). He summarized the Law in three verses (Mark 12:29–31), and he reduced all his teachings to one command (John 15:12).

He made his point and went home.

Jesus’ ministry on this earth lasted only three and a half years, yet in that time his words turned heads, turned hearts, and ultimately turned the world upside down. The words of Jesus offer much to those who have ears to hear. They are his legacy. They are our heritage.

In this workbook you will have the opportunity to hear his voice for yourself. Words made indistinct by the hubbub of daily life will ring in your ears with renewed clarity. Let his still, small voice echo through your heart.

There are a total of six lessons—each divided into daily sections. Begin with prayer, asking the Lord for wisdom, insight, and determination. Read the stories; hear his voice. There are questions to send you into the rest of the Scriptures—teaching your heart to recognize his words, his truth. The one who speaks also listens, so there is also ample space to journal. Share with the Lord your thoughts, feelings, and hopes.

The words of Christ—discourses, parables, prayers, conversations. Eminently quotable. Undeniably powerful. Eternally true. Let the message that changed the world change your life forever.

        Selection taken from When God Whispers Your Name

LESSON ONE

He’s Calling

DAY ONE

Come and see . . .

They followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, What do you seek? They said to Him, Rabbi (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), where are You staying? He said to them, Come and see.

JOHN 1:37–39

THERE ARE TIMES when we see. And there are times when we see. Let me show you what I mean:

Everything changes the morning you see the for sale sign on your neighbor’s boat. His deluxe bass boat. The bass boat you’ve coveted for three summers. All of a sudden nothing else matters. A gravitational tug pulls your car to the curb. You sigh as you behold your dream glistening in the sun. You run your fingers along the edge, pausing only to wipe the drool from your shirt. As you gaze, you are transported to Lake Tamapwantee, and it’s just you and the glassy waters and your bass boat.

Or perhaps the following paragraph describes you better:

Everything changes the day you see him enter the English lit classroom. Just enough swagger to be cool. Just enough smarts to be classy. Not walking so fast as to be nervous, nor so slow as to be cocky. You’ve seen him before, but only in your dreams. Now he’s really here. And you can’t take your eyes off him. By the time class is over, you’ve memorized every curl and lash. And by the time this day is over, you resolve he’s going to be yours.

There are times when we see. And then there are times when we see. There are times when we observe, and there are times when we memorize. There are times when we notice, and there are times when we study. Most of us know what it means to see a new boat or a new boy . . . but do we know what it’s like to see Jesus?

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

HEBREWS 11:6

1. In Acts 26:12–18, Paul recounts his experience on the road to Damascus when he saw the Lord. At the very moment his eyes were blinded, they were opened. What did Jesus ask of Paul that day, according to verses 17–18?

2. You won’t see Jesus if you’re not looking for him. What does Hebrews 11:6 say that God rewards?

3. God has been beckoning to us since the beginning, calling for people to see his hand, to hear his voice, and to seek his face.

• 1 Chronicles 22:19—What did David command the people to do when building the temple?

• Isaiah 55:6—According to Isaiah, when should we seek the Lord? When should we call out to him?

• Hosea 10:12—According to Hosea, what are we to plant? What will we reap? If we seek the Lord, what will we see him do?

Consider John and Andrew. They were rewarded for seeking out Jesus. For them it wasn’t enough to listen to John the Baptist. Most would have been content to serve in the shadow of the world’s most famous evangelist. Could there be a better teacher? Only one. And when John and Andrew saw him, they left John the Baptist and followed Jesus. Note the request they made.

Rabbi, they asked, where are you staying? (John 1:38 NIV). Pretty bold request. They didn’t ask Jesus to give them a minute or an opinion or a message or a miracle. They asked for his address. They wanted to hang out with him. They wanted to know him. They wanted to know what caused his head to turn and his heart to burn and his soul to yearn. They wanted to study his eyes and follow his steps. They wanted to see him.

Jesus’ answer to the disciples? Come and see. He didn’t say, Come and glance, or Come and peek. He said, Come and see. Bring your bifocals and binoculars. This is no time for side-glances or occasional peeks. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2 NIV).

The fisherman fixes his eyes on the boat. The girl fixes her eyes on the boy. The