James 1:21-27, How to Listen to a Sermon (3)

We have considered the need to have ready hearts as we approach times of the teaching and preaching of God word.  And we have noted the need to be engaged and to work as the public ministry is being carried out.  Now let us consider …

·        After the ministry of the Word: put into practice.

The blessing of God is on those who hear AND obey His word as seen from the parable of the wise man and foolish man (Lk. 6:46-49), Jesus words about His true family (Lk. 11:20-21) and from Jesus’ response to the woman in Lk. 11:27-28.  Therefore, take heed how you hear (Lk. 8:18) is an appropriate word for us. 

James addressed this matter in Jas. 1:22-25.  The bottom line is be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  Note that: we deceive ourselves if we do not do the word.  And notice also the way it works.  If we hear God’s word preached and taught and the Lord impresses things on our heart as we are listening, the problem comes if we go away from there and fail to follow up on what the Spirit told us.  Again, in an age when careful listening is rarely required of people, it is critical for believers in Christ who want to glorify God with their lives to be doing whatever they must do to remember afterwards what we have heard.  We have to-do lists for all kinds of things in life; we might want to be taking notes for later application as we listen to God’s word taught.

·        Concluding thoughts.

Sometime you might want to reinforce this issue of how to listen by reading Job 28.  In that chapter the prophet of old reflects on where a person is going to find wisdom.  There is a place for hidden treasure and precious stones (28:1-11) but where can wisdom be found (28:12-19).  He says it is hidden from the average person but that those who fear the Lord will find it (28:20-28).  In other words, Job noted that we are willing to work hard in the search for earthly riches.  Are we willing to work hard for the true riches?

This is what our Lord taught.  The difference between true disciples of Christ and those who only claim to follow Him is not in who shows up for the meeting.  They all came, for a while.  But in the end it was those who endured, those who when they heard the hard message of discipleship were still moved to do what Jesus was teaching. 

Is that not what Paul said about the Thessalonian believers?  For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard form us, you welcomed it not at the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe (1 Thess. 2:13).

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (Rev. 2-3).