"A wise man will hear, and will increase learning." - Proverbs 1:5
"So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" - Romans 10:17
Directions on How to Listen to Sermons.
"Take heed therefore how you hear" - Luke 8:18
The reason our Lord gave this warning was this: He noticed that a large crowd had gathered to hear him from every city. Knowing (because he is God and knows everything) that many, if not most of them, would only listen and not act on the Word, he spoke to them using a parable. In this parable, using the example of a sower who went out to sow his seed, he clearly suggested how few among them would receive any saving benefit from his teaching or produce fruit to maturity.
The application should be clear and obvious: but the disciples, not yet greatly enlightened by the Holy Spirit and therefore unable to understand the hidden mysteries of the Kingdom of God, approached our Savior as people should approach their ministers. They talked with him privately about the meaning of what he had taught them in public, and with a sincere desire to do their duty, they asked for an interpretation of the parable.
Our blessed Lord, who was always willing to teach those who were eager to learn (setting an example for his ministers to be approachable and kind), freely explained the meaning to them. Additionally, to make them more careful and attentive to his teachings in the future, he told them that they were especially meant to be the light of the world and were to proclaim from the rooftops whatever he told them in secret. Since gaining more knowledge depended on how well they used what they had already learned, it was very important for them to be careful about how they listened.
From the context, it seems that the words were primarily spoken to the apostles themselves. But because they represented the whole Church, and since it's likely that out of the many thousands who come to hear sermons, only a few are truly influenced by them, I think it's very important to remind you of the warning given by our Lord to His disciples, and to strongly encourage you to be careful how you listen.
In pursuing this plan, I will, in the following discussion,
- First, prove that everyone should take every opportunity to listen to sermons.
- Secondly, I will provide some cautions and directions to help you listen to them with profit and advantage.
I. First, I need to prove that everyone should take every opportunity to listen to sermons.
It is clear from many passages of Scripture that there have always been specific people set apart by God to instruct and encourage His people to do what He requires of them. St. Jude tells us that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied or preached about the Lord's coming with ten thousand of His saints to judgment. Noah, who lived not long after, is called by St. Peter a preacher of righteousness. Even though we hear of few preachers in the time between the Flood and the giving of the Law, we can reasonably conclude that God never left Himself without a witness. At various times and in different ways, He spoke to our ancestors through the patriarchs and prophets (Heb. 1:1).
But however it was before, we are assured that after the giving of the Law, God has consistently set apart a specific group of men to preach to and pray for His people. He commanded them to seek their duty from the priests. Even though the Jews were often led into captivity and scattered across the earth because of their sins, He never completely abandoned His Church. He always maintained a remnant of prophets and preachers, like Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Daniel, and others, to correct, instruct, and call them to repentance.
This was how it was under the Law. The Church is not worse off but is actually much better provided for under the Gospel. When Jesus Christ, the great High Priest, offered himself through the Eternal Spirit as a complete, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, offering, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world, and after his resurrection was given all power in heaven and on earth, he gave his apostles, and through them all future ministers, the mission to go and preach his Gospel to every creature. He promised to be with them, to guide, assist, strengthen, and comfort them always, even to the end of the world (Matt. 28:18-20).
But if it is the duty of ministers to preach (and woe to them if they do not preach the Gospel, for a necessity is laid upon them), then there is no doubt that the people are obliged to listen to them. Otherwise, why are ministers sent?
And how can we not admire the love and tender care our dear Redeemer has shown for his bride, the Church? Because he couldn't always be with us in person, as it was necessary for him to go away and, as our forerunner, take possession of the glory he purchased with his precious blood, he didn't leave us without comfort. First, he established a sufficient number of pastors and teachers; and then, according to his promise, he sent and will continue to send the Holy Spirit to equip them and their successors with the proper gifts and graces for the work of ministry. This is for the perfecting of the saints, for building up his body in love, until we all reach unity in the Spirit, to the fullness of the measure of the stature of Christ.
Oh, how unaware are those of this unspeakable gift, who insult the Spirit of grace, who crucify the Son of God again, and put him to open shame by willfully refusing to attend to such a great means of their salvation? How dreadful will the end of such people be? How aggravating it is that light should come into the world, that the glad tidings of salvation should be so frequently proclaimed in this city, and that so many should despise this spiritual manna, this angels' food, and call it light bread? How much more tolerable will it be for Tyre and Sidon, for Sodom and Gomorrah, than for such sinners? It would be better if people had never heard of a Savior being born than, after they have heard, to not pay attention to the ministry of those who are employed as his ambassadors to handle affairs between God and their souls.
We can, even from afar and without the gift of prophecy, predict the terrible condition of such men. We can see them thrown into Hell, lifting up their eyes in torment, and crying out, "How often would our ministers have gathered us, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings! But we would not. Oh, that we had known in our day the things that belonged to our everlasting peace. But now they are forever hidden from our eyes."
Thus wretched and inconceivably miserable will be those who dismiss and mock the public preaching of the Gospel. But assuming there are few, if any, of this unfortunate kind who think it's not worth their time to enter the courts of the Lord's house, I now move on to the next point.
II. Second general thing proposed—To provide some cautions and directions to help you listen to sermons with profit and advantage.
And here, if we think about what has already been said, and consider that preaching is an ordinance of God, a means appointed by Jesus Christ himself for promoting his kingdom among men, you cannot reasonably be offended if, in order for you to hear sermons with profit and advantage, I
First, I urge you to come and listen to them, not out of curiosity, but from a sincere desire to know and do your duty.
Formality and hypocrisy in any religious exercise are an abomination to the LORD. Entering His house just to entertain our ears, without reforming our hearts, is surely displeasing to the Most High GOD and unprofitable for us.
This is why so many people remain unconverted and even unaffected by the most Gospel-centered preaching. Like St. Paul's companions, they only hear the preacher's voice with their outward ears but do not feel its power in their hearts. Or like the ground near Gideon's fleece, they remain untouched, while others who come to be nourished by the sincere milk of the Word, like the fleece itself, are watered by God's heavenly blessing and grow because of it.
So, my brothers, avoid curiosity and get your hearts ready with a humble attitude to accept the implanted Word with meekness. Then, with God's help, it will be a way to revive, strengthen, purify, and save your souls.
A second direction I will provide for the same purpose is not only to prepare your hearts before you hear, but also to pay close attention to the things that are spoken while you are hearing the Word of God.
If an earthly king were to issue a royal proclamation, where the life or death of his subjects entirely depended on fulfilling certain conditions, how eager would they be to hear what those conditions were? And shouldn't we show the same respect to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and listen carefully to His ambassadors when they declare in His name the terms on which our pardon, peace, and happiness can be secured?
When God came down on Mount Sinai in awesome majesty to give the Law to His people, how attentive were they to His servant Moses? And if they were so eager to hear the thunderings and lightnings of the Law, shouldn't we be just as eager to hear from the ministers of Christ the good news of the Gospel?
While Christ was on Earth, it is said that the people eagerly listened to the gracious words that came from his mouth. If we viewed ministers as we should, as the representatives of Jesus Christ, we would eagerly listen to their words as well.
Besides, the sacred truths that Gospel ministers deliver are not boring, dry lectures on moral philosophy meant just to entertain us for a while. Instead, they are the great mysteries of godliness, which we are bound to listen to carefully, so that through our negligence we don't fail to understand them or let them slip away by any other means.
But how careless are those who ignore this guidance, and instead of paying attention to the preacher, doze off or sleep while he is speaking to them from God? Unfortunate people! Can they not stay awake with our blessed Lord for one hour? What; have they never read how Eutychus fell down while he was sleeping when St. Paul continued his discourse until midnight, and he was taken up dead? (Acts 20:9)
But to return. Even if you think you are preparing your hearts with a teachable attitude and are attentive while listening to sermons, this will benefit you little unless you follow a third direction—Do not hold any prejudice, even the smallest, against the minister.
Even if a preacher could speak with the language of men and angels, if his audience was biased against him, he would be just like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
That was the reason why Jesus Christ, the eternal Word, couldn't do many mighty works or preach effectively among the people of His own country; they were offended by Him. If this same Jesus, God incarnate, were to come down again speaking as no one ever has, and we were prejudiced against Him like the Jews were, we would harden our hearts just as they did.
Take heed, my brothers, and be careful not to hold any dislike against those whom the Holy Spirit has made overseers over you. Remember that the clergy are people with the same passions as you. Even if we hear someone teaching others to do what they haven't done themselves, that's not a good enough reason to reject their teaching. Ministers speak not in their own name but in Christ's name. We know who commanded the people to do whatever the scribes and Pharisees said to them, even though they said but did not do (Matt. 23:3).
But fourthly, just as you shouldn't be biased against a preacher, you should also be careful not to rely too much on one or think more highly of him than you should. Although this is an extreme that people rarely fall into, favoring one teacher over another has had negative consequences for the Church of God.
We read that this was a fault the great Apostle to the Gentiles condemned in the Corinthians. One person said, "I am of Paul," and another said, "I am of Apollos." He asked, "Are you not carnal?" For who is Paul, and who is Apollos, but instruments in God's hand by whom you believed? Aren't all ministers sent to be ministering ambassadors to those who will inherit salvation? And shouldn't they all be greatly respected for the sake of their work?
The Apostle indeed instructs us to give double honor to those who work hard in teaching the word and doctrine. However, to favor one minister over another to the extent that you might leave a church service because a particular minister is not preaching is earthly, sensual, and devilish.
Popularity and applause can be extremely dangerous even to a well-informed mind. They must fill any thoughtful person with a holy concern, lest they take honor for themselves that belongs only to God. It is God alone who equips them for their ministerial work, and from whom every good and perfect gift comes.
A fifth direction I would recommend is to specifically apply everything that is taught to your own hearts.
When our Savior was talking with His beloved disciples at the Last Supper and predicted that one of them would betray Him, each of them immediately thought about their own heart and asked, "Lord, is it I?" If people today, when preachers are speaking against any vice or encouraging any virtue, would stop thinking, "This is meant for someone else," and instead turn their thoughts inward and ask, "Lord, is it I?" how much more beneficial would we find these messages to be than they generally are now?
But we tend to focus too much on others' faults, always noticing the speck in our neighbor's eye rather than the beam in our own.
Let's move on to the sixth and final direction: If you want to receive a blessing from the Lord when you hear His Word preached, pray to Him before, during, and after every sermon. Ask Him to give the minister the power to speak and to grant you the willingness and ability to practice what the minister shows from the Book of God to be your duty.
This would be an excellent way to make the preached Word effective in enlightening and igniting your hearts, and without this, all the other methods previously mentioned will be in vain.
No doubt it was this thought that made St. Paul so earnestly ask his beloved Ephesians to pray to God for him. He says, "Praying always with all kinds of prayer and supplication in the Spirit; and for me also, that I may open my mouth with boldness, and make known the mysteries of the Gospel" (Eph. 6:18-19). If such a great Apostle like St. Paul needed the prayers of his people, then ministers who have only the ordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit need them even more.
Besides, this would be good proof that you sincerely want to do as well as know the will of God. It would greatly benefit both ministers and people because God, through your prayers, will give them a double portion of His Holy Spirit. This will enable them to instruct you more fully in the things that pertain to the Kingdom of God.
Oh! I wish that everyone listening to me today would seriously commit to practicing what they've been told! If they did, ministers would see Satan fall from heaven like lightning, and people would find the preached Word to be sharper than a two-edged sword and powerful through God, tearing down the Devil's strongholds!
The Holy Spirit would then come upon all who heard the Word, just like when St. Peter preached. The Gospel of Christ would spread freely, move very quickly, and thousands would once again be converted by a sermon.
For Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He has promised to be with his ministers always, even to the end of the world. The reason we do not receive greater outpourings of the blessed Spirit of God is not because our all-powerful Redeemer's hand is shortened, but because we are not prepared to receive them and because we do not expect them, limiting them to the early times.
Sometimes, it happens that God, to show His free grace in Christ Jesus, is found by those who weren't looking for Him; a notorious sinner is powerfully affected by a public sermon and is saved like a burning stick snatched from the fire. But this is not God's usual way of acting. No, generally, He only reaches those with the power of His word who humbly wait to know what He wants them to do. He sends away those who are not ready to listen, not only empty but also hardened.
So, be careful, you careless and curious believers, if any of you are here, about how you listen. Remember that, whether we think about it or not, we all have to appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10). Ministers will have to give a strict account of the teachings they have delivered, and you will have to give just as strict an account of how you have grown from them. And good God! How will you be able to stand before an angry, sin-avenging Judge and see so many sermons you have ignored, so many ministers who once longed and worked for the salvation of your precious and immortal souls, brought out as swift witnesses against you? Do you think it will be enough then to say that you went to hear them only out of curiosity, to pass away an idle hour, to admire the speaking skills, or to mock the simplicity of the preacher? No, God will then let you know that you should have come with better intentions, that every sermon has been recorded against you, and that you must then be justly punished for not growing from them.
But don't be afraid, you little flock, who humbly accept the implanted Word and produce the peaceful fruits of righteousness; it won't be the same for you. No, you will be your minister's joy and their crown of rejoicing on the day of our Lord Jesus. They will present you in a holy triumph, faultless and blameless, to our common Redeemer, saying, "Behold us, O Lord, and the children which you have given us."
But still, be careful how you listen. If you make good use of the grace you have, more will be given to you, and you will have plenty. For He is faithful who has promised, and He will do it. Indeed, God will bless you from Zion so that every sermon you hear will give you a fresh supply of spiritual knowledge. The Word of God will dwell in you richly; you will grow stronger and move from one level of grace to another until you become mature in Christ Jesus. Filled with all the fullness of God, you will be taken by death to see Him as He is and to sing praise before His throne with angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, and the great assembly of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven forever and ever.
May God, in His infinite mercy, grant this, and so on.
The End.
