Basic Disciplines, Part 3

A Spiritual Discipline is an intentional habit cultivated in our lives that is designed to lead us into greater Christlikeness in our thoughts, affections, and behavior.

A few weeks ago we talked about the concept of the Ordinary means of Grace.

While noting that we’d word things a little differently, we noted the basic goodness of what they were seeking to communicate.

The Word

The Sacraments (Ordinances)

Prayer.

The last two weeks we have been talking about Scripture intake.

Bible reading.

Bible Memorization.

Robin sent me some resources on Scripture set to song. If you want access to those you can talk to me, or her and get that information. Great way to memorize Scripture is to set it to song.

Today, I may very well be giving the most self-serving lesson I’ve ever given.

Today we talk about how to listen to a sermon.

Much of today’s lesson is drawn from Jay Adam’s book: A Consumer’s Guide to Preaching

This is an excellent little book to help you get the most out of sermons.

I have this cover.

First, we have to note that listening is an Ethic issue.

We talked about this a bit on Wednesday night as we studied Proverbs.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

But what does hearing imply? Obedience to the Word!

I want to be clear about something. My expectation for you is not that you are obedient to me, the preacher. My plea is that you are obedience to the Word. I preach until I’m blue in the face about something I want you to do, like I need you to Only wear blue shirts and dresses from now on. but I don’t have the authority to command you to do that. You are not under obligation to obey me there.

My authority as the pastor extends only as far as the Word of God commands.

But hearing...true hearing! implies obedience to the Word

James 1:22–25 “But become doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he looked at himself and has gone away, he immediately forgot what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.”

The LSB has the word Delude, which can be translated as deceive. Hearing the Word of God, and making no changes where is directs you, is self-deception, because you can convincing yourself that soundwaves bouncing off your ear drums is enough.

If you look in a mirror and walk away forgetting what you saw, what does that make you? A fool!

By contrast, the one who listens, abides by, and does, that person is what? Blessed! God honors obedience!

This is huge, because sometimes doing the right thing is costly. I knew someone one time that encountered an ethical issue at work. They could go along with and ignore it, or else that could say something. Saying something could come with a cost?

Sometimes you have to pay the cost. Sometimes God is gracious enough that the issue is resolved, as it was in this person’s case.

Even if you have to pay the cost, God honors obedience to the word. He’ll take care of you.

Matthew 7:24–29 ““Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. “And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and fell against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. “And everyone hearing these words of Mine and not doing them, may be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand. “And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” Now it happened that when Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were astonished at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.”

What is the person who hears and does the word like? Wise man. Building a solid house.

When tornadoes roll through, which homes are the most effected? Trailer homes. Stick Builts.

The concrete foundations are seldom destroyed, and homes built on that withstand more winds than those on

I’m in the construction industry. Having a solid foundation is critical. When the bottom is lacking, the whole house is at risk.

You must have a solid foundation for your life. Often the storms of life reveal how strong of a foundation you have.

Now, listen to the obligations I have as a preacher.

I am to point out truth.

1 Timothy 4:6 “In pointing out these things to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.”

These things being exposing error that contradicts God’s Word.

He says

1 Timothy 4:11 “Command and teach these things.”

These things could be the things found in letter, or it could be the immediate context of refusing error, myths, and training ourselves for godliness.

1 Timothy 4:13 “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.”

I am to remind:

2 Timothy 2:14 “Remind them of these things, solemnly charging them in the presence of God not to dispute about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.”

I am to preach the Word

2 Timothy 4:1–5 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

Preach!

Be Ready!

Reprove - expose, bring to light, convict.

Rebuke - to warn, to command

Exhort - parakeleo, to implore, appeal, encourage, entreat, to comfort.

Someone once said that a preacher’s job it to comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comfortable.

I’m not to tickle ears. Tell you nothing but nice stories that make you feel good about yourself. I’m not to teach you pop psychology self-help tricks.

But I am to fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.

Finally, the pastor of a church is an elder. Elders are called to certain standards of teaching

Titus 1:9–13 “holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to reprove those who contradict. For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of dishonest gain. One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith,”

I need to hold fast the faithful word

I need to exhort in sound doctrine

I need to reprove those who contradict.

What is the goal? That you may be sound in the faith.

This is my role as an elder. As a Pastor. As an overseer. As a Shepherd.

The role of the hearer is to listen so as to live according to what God has said.

Will you listen?

Practical helps for sermon listening.

It starts on Saturday Night.

Do as much as you can before you go to bed (pick clothes, plan for breakfast, etc)

Get a good night’s sleep

Come with expectations

Pray!

God has a message for me that will change my life

Look for a way to summarize the message in one sentence

Be good Bereans - Acts 17:11-12

Ignore distractions (and don’t be one)

Take Notes

Main points

Main applications

There is much more in this book that may be helpful. He has a chapter about how to deal with poor preaching. If you buy it just for that chapter, just don’t tell me.

In some ways, listening to sermons is like eating a meal. You won’t remember them all, but they nourish you. A few will stick out and have profound impact. most will be forgotten. Even the forgotten meals nourish your body. Even forgotten sermons can nourish your soul. But when you are intentional about how to listen, there is a greater benefit to you.

This is one of the ordinary means of grace. The normal way God sanctifies his people.

Next week we will move on to prayer.

A Spiritual Discipline is an intentional habit cultivated in our lives that is designed to lead us into greater Christlikeness in our thoughts, affections, and behavior.

Intentionally engaging with sermons is one way to pursue holiness in our lives.