HOW TO LISTEN TO
A SERMON
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There are nearly 50 books in
my library dealing with “How to prepare a Sermon” … but none on “How to LISTEN
to a Sermon”!
Nor was such a subject
taught in Bible College. Yet the
Scriptures do have something to say about it!
1. DISCERNINGLY
(a) An Illustration from 650 BC. The Lord, through Jeremiah, even warned
His people not to believe all that was being preached in their day. False prophets abounded (Jeremiah 23:14-16):
“Thus saith the Lord of hosts, ‘Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord’.”
(b) An Illustration from AD 50. We
are told in Acts 17:10-12 that the Bereans even checked up on what Paul was
preaching to them!! Did it square with
the Scriptures … or not? And that’s the
criteria. Beware of swallowing what a
preacher says just because he is forceful or eloquent or whatever! Does what he is saying agree with the
teaching of the Bible??
“These were more noble than
those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of
mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).
(c) An Illustration from 1950. As a young Christian I recall a preacher getting excited (and
therefore exciting me), because the date in Haggai 2:18 was “the very day
General Allenby marched into Jerusalem and liberated the Holy City from the
Turks! Isn’t the Bible wonderful!” Well, yes, it is wonderful … but now I’ve
studied the Book of Haggai I realise that Haggai 2:18 was not talking
about the deliverance of Jerusalem in 1917!
Beware of swallowing everything the preacher says. Check it out. Compare with what the Bible teaches.
2. REGULARLY
When Peter preached on the
day of Pentecost 3000 people were converted.
(a) The Reaction. “They
continued steadfastly … not spasmodically … in the Apostles’ doctrine” … that
is, they met together regularly to hear the Word of God expounded (Acts
2:41-42).
(b) The Reason. There is no
spiritual growth in God’s family without studying the Scriptures. And their desire to know more of what the Lord
had done for them was a sure evidence of their conversion (I Peter 2:2-3).
“As newborn babes, desire
the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious” (I Peter
2:2).
3. ATTENTITIVELY
(a) Where lies the Blame … if the listener is inattentive? It may be the fault of the preacher! Ill-prepared. A droning voice. Too
academic in his presentation. Devoid of
illustrations. Boooooring!!
Or it may be the fault of
the hearer… pre-occupied with other matters. Tired after a late, late Saturday night. Uninterested in what God is saying through His Word!
(b) What says the Book?
Hebrews 2:1-3 warns of not “earnestly giving heed” to the things
preached faithfully to us. Verse 2
speaks of those who were punished for disobeying angels … how much more will be
the punishment of those who do not heed the Word of the Lord! That’s what it says!
4. OBEDIENTLY
(a) A Recent Example. In one
American church the congregation actually say at a given point in the sermon
(at the pastor’s cue) “SO WHAT?” I’ve
heard it on tape. In other words, what
is the application of this sermon for me? How can I apply it to my life? James says (1:22) that we are not just to hear the Word of God …
but do it…
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
(b) An Old Testament Example. When Ezra preached to the Israelites after their return from
Babylon, they responded, “As thou hast said, so we must do!” (Ezra 10:12). And they did!
“Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, ‘As thou hast said, so must we do.”
(c) A New Testament Example. Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost elicited the response from
his hearers … “What shall we do?” (Acts
2:37). And when he told them to repent
and be baptized, that’s what they did (Acts 2:41).
And that is the best kind of
way to listen to a sermon!
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So let’s apply it. All together now: “SO WHAT?”
God’s Word says you need to
make Jesus your Saviour and Lord. Yes
it does. Have you done that?
God’s Word says that
believers in the Lord Jesus should confess their faith in the waters of
Baptism. Yes it does. Mmmm?
God’s Word says we are to
“not forsake the assembling of ourselves together” (Hebrews 10:25) … that we
are to study His Word … to pray … to not be ashamed of Him … to live holy
lives…
How do YOU listen to
sermons? Or more to the point … how did
you listen to this sermon?
Discerningly? Attentitively? Obediently?
Mmmmm?
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