What is your job here? What are you doing here in worship. First it is important to recognize that each one of us has a job. The congregation is not passive but is renewing covenant during worship. All audibly joins in responsive reading and song, all physically join at the supper, and all spiritually join in prayer. But what about during the sermon? The Pastor’s job is to proclaim the Word of God faithfully, week in and week out. The congregation is commanded to listen. “He who has ears, let him hear.” Matthew 13:9.
This is not a passive task. To be a good listener takes hard work. It takes active hard work. You are called to hear that truth and apply it to your hearts and lives.
Now it is only by the power of the Spirit that men are converted, and without conversion the truth proclaimed will make no sense, it bounces off the forehead. Unconverted hearts cannot understand. Unconverted ears cannot hear.
But conversion does not instantly make you a good listener. Your ears can now work, they are able to hear, but they need training. You will need to work at it. This takes time and faith.
To listen well you must remove any hindrance. To remove spiritual hindrance we confess our sins at the beginning of the service. Holding on to sin in your life is like holding your hands over your ears. You refuse to hear.
But there are other hindrances. It has been said that the mind can only absorb what the body can endure. And so, you must prepare your body for listening. This means getting good rest on Saturday night and getting up early enough to eat a good breakfast. We are given human bodies; we cannot ignore them. Emergencies arise, babies stay up all night, but you should be planning within your control to get the rest needed. And if you are tempted to sleep during the sermon, it might be a good week to sit in the front row.
You can also prepare to listen by reading the sermon text. Pastor Josh has given us all heads up that we will be in Isaiah for the next few years, so there’s really no excuse. Get familiar with Isaiah and you will hear more each sermon. I especially encourage young parents to practice this. If you know you are going to miss half of the sermon due to faithfully taking care of your kids, it will be incredibly helpful to already have the context for the parts you get to hear.
And lastly pray for wisdom. God wants you to hear more clearly and to grow in truth. So as James says, pray without doubting.
Zach Browning – May 26, 2024
