All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Listening to a sermon… the faithful preaching of God’s word. Sounds important, right?
I’ve read many a book on how to preach a sermon in my formal theological education days. What I have not read is a book on how to listen to a sermon. An obviously important goal in a sermon preached is making sure that it is listened—and received. Ironically, that is what many people in our churches are unable to or unwilling to do.
This creates an inevitable problem: not only can there be a lot of bad preachers in our churches, but there can also be a lot of bad listeners. And if you think about it, there are far more listeners than there are preachers, aren’t there? In any given week, you will find more people that listen to sermons than you will find people that preach them.
In affirming this fact, John Calvin described the preaching event as being only half the role of the pastor/preacher. The event of preaching involves the whole worshiping church. The very action of the congregation in receiving that which is preached is not a passive one. The listening that goes on in the congregation during a sermon should be a “listening of faith.”
I’ve found that there are five ways that we can faithfully listen to a sermon in a way that seeks Christ, honors the word of God and blesses the sanctifying believer. I’ll go over each of them over the next few days.
In the meantime, let’s ask ourselves: How much care do I give to the faithful act of listening to a sermon? Am I positioned in a place of reverence? Am I mindful of the word of God preached?
5 Comments on "How to Listen to a Sermon: Part 1"
Nice. Sounds like a good one. you’re right I don’t think about this often.
p.s. Love the graphic of ole Billy!
Very nice.
Thanks. Graphic credit goes to Matt Chenot.
This post makes me think…how great would it be to have every sermon followed by a Q & A session. It is so easy to lose focus during a sermon,regardless of a pastor’s clarity and message. Accountability is important in all situations. Thanks for the reminder!
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