Be Careful How You Hear!

“But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; . . . Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:19, 21)

The preacher of the gospel, has a great and glorious burden to proclaim the Word which is able to save. With this weight in mind preachers must remember that every time they preach, people’s lives, both for now and eternity, truly depend on it. I do not understand it completely, but God in His wisdom has chosen “the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21); the gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

Salvation comes to those who believe this gospel with their whole heart (Romans 10:9-10), and those who do believe will not be disappointed (Romans 10:11). “How then,” the Bible asks, “will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher” (Romans 10:14). Thus, since “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17), salvation does not take place apart from God’s Word. Further, God has ordained preaching as the primary means by which this Word is declared (1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5). The implications of these biblical truths are staggering and numerous—preaching should be the central and focal aspect of corporate worship gatherings; we should long for more preaching, not less; we should demand biblical preaching, not self-help psychology, storytelling or comedy routines. We could go on and on; however, I want to emphasize just one implication which stems from these biblical truths. If you do believe what the Bible says about salvation through faith in Christ, according to His Word, then how do you listen to sermons? Do you listen to them as if your life truly depended on them?

Being convinced of the Bible’s authority and the importance of God’s Word and the preaching of that Word, allow me to give you some words of encouragement as to how to approach the sermon:

BEFORE THE SERMON prepare your heart to receive God’s Word. Pray for the preacher that he will have spent time with God during the week, so that you will hear what he has already preached to himself. When you enter to worship, dwell on the things of God, not on the things of this world.

DURING THE SERMON listen as if your life depends on it because it does. Take notes. Pray for understanding. Listen as the Bereans did; they received the Word of God eagerly, but looked to the Scriptures to make sure what was being preached was according to God’s Word (Acts 17:11).

AFTER THE SERMON receive the Word of God with humility and act on it. Don’t delude yourself by being a mere hearer of the Word; take action and do what God’s Word says you should do, for truth that is not applied is truth that is lost.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Juan