Misconstrued Lyrics

Years ago, there was a morning radio show on a local station.
The DJ’s name was Harvey and his show was known as Harvey in the Morning.
Harvey was down to earth, funny, and he also played great music.
I would listen each day as I commuted to my college classes.

You could always tell who else was listening to Harvey.
You would glance over at the other driver as you both were at the red light.
The person next to you would be laughing at the same time!

Harvey did something very clever, yet so simple.
Harvey would have a segment of his show that he called Misconstrued Lyrics.

We have all done it.
It’s a nice day…your car windows are down.
You are singing your favorite song…not missing any word.
Or so you think!

Harvey played the songs we all loved to sing.
He would say the words we all sing…and then he would play what the song really said.
I still remember an old Creedance Clearwater Revival song, Bad Moon Rising.

At the time, no one knew what that song said; there were no liner notes with lyrics.
Most of us sang what Harvey said we sang…There’s a bathroom on the right!
The song really said…There’s a bad moon on the rise.

I found myself laughing every morning with Harvey as I drove along.

Lyrics are not the only thing that is misconstrued.

The Word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is the word of faith we are proclaiming. That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved…How then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?…Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:8-10,14,17)

Our faith is a word based faith.
Faith comes from hearing the message.
The Word of God must be preached.
It is important to hear the message correctly.
No misconstrued verses.

Jesus taught in parables so listening was vitally important.
If you didn’t listen well, you would not understand the parable’s meaning.

Parables are designed to tell a story.
The hearer identifies with one of the characters in the parable.
That is how the parable is understood.

Therefore, consider carefully how you listen. (Luke 8:18)
Consider carefully what you hear. (Mark 4:24)

Listening and Hearing.
There is a nuance of difference between the two.

Hearing is passive; it requires no effort; it is simply your ear perceiving a sound.

Listening is active; it requires concentration so that you are able to process the meaning of the words and sentences you hear.
Listening leads to learning.

Jesus affirmed this nuance in His choice of words.
Consider carefully HOW you listen.
Consider carefully WHAT you hear.

Active vs. passive.

Many people hear a sermon.
They hear words; they notice the length of the sermon; the words seem to float on the air.

Few people listen to a sermon.
Those that do, ponder its meaning, apply its truth, and take it to heart.

I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:1-4)

Itching ears want to hear only what they want to hear.
Listening ears follow a command.

Jesus took Peter, James and John up the high mountain.
There He was transfigured before them.
The Glory that had been there all along was now visible.
The three were terrified because of the Glory they saw in front of them.

Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud.
“This is My Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!  (Mark 9:7)

Listen to Him.
It is not an option.

We need the Holy Spirit’s help to listen with our ears wide open.
Without the Holy Spirit, everything is misconstrued.

It may be funny when song lyrics are misconstrued.
It is life or death when God’s Word is misconstrued.
It is the difference between heaven and hell.
It is eternal life or separation from God for all eternity.

Listening is THAT important!

When we listen, the Holy Spirit takes the words and moves them to our heart.
There they take root.
There they produce fruit.
Fruit that will last.

Nothing misconstrued about that!