Introduction

·      Rd. Jn. 14:21.

·        We’ve noted several times the connection of love and obedience. But there is another important word in v. 21: “has.” To possess, obtain, own. Obviously, we can’t obey until we have it. There are many ways we can ‘have’ God’s Word – taught as a child, in church, personal reading, talking with friends. It’s possible to ‘have a Bible’ and yet not ‘have God’s Word’ in your heart. Likewise, it’s possible to ‘hear a sermon’ and yet not to ‘listen and possess’ that truth. And even those who have it in your heart, realize we don’t have it all.

·        Our study this morning is just on one way we can better ‘have’ God’s Word. At first, the subject of this sermon may seem self-evident. Of course we know how to listen to a sermon! We’re sitting here this morning. We’ve listened to sermons for decades. It’s something we’ve been doing our whole lives. Why do we need a sermon on this?? I was first challenged by Bret Capranica who preaches on this topic once a year.

·        FIVE PRINCIPLES OF LISTENING, then some closing practical comments.

Listen for the glory of God

·        Main ministry of Jesus and apostles

·        Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

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

·        Preach – to proclaim, telling the good news, bear witness to the truth, teach the way of God and the Word of God

·        May seem unpopular or irrelevant in the eyes of the world today. No fancy special effects. Just the pure Word of God, plainly spoken. But God has commanded preaching. It is a fundamental aspect of worship. It is one of the main ways we can grow as Christians. God is glorified when His word is preached, and He is glorified when His word is listened to.

·        The changes are not always measurable from day to day, week to week, but over time, God is shaping and transforming and maturing us.

Listen with a heart of prayer

·        As we have seen several a couple times already in John 14, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. We need His help to understand the truth.

·        Rd. Eph. 6:18-20 – Pray that God will assist His messenger

·        Rd. Eph. 1:17-18 – Pray that God will assist the listener

·        Pray for unbelievers

·        Philip Ryken says, “When it comes to preaching, congregations generally get what they pray for”

Listen with an appetite for the Word

·        Job 23:12 “I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

·        Psalm 19:10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

·        Our daughter's appetite for milk – once she sees the bottle, it’s all over. Nothing can distract her!

·        Packer: "The baby sucks, instinctively; and the born-again person also feels a hunger for spiritual food – first the milk and then the meat of God’s revealed Word (1 pet. 2:2; heb. 5:12-14; 1 Cor. 3:2). He listens to the Word preached and taught and discussed; he reads it in his Bible; he asks questions about it; he meditates on it, memorizes it, chews the cud on it, labours to squeeze all the goodness out of it. ‘Oh, how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day…How sweet are Thy words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!’ (Ps. 119:97, 103). Constantly to crave for God’s Word and to want to go deeper into it is thus a … sign of being regenerate."

·        Come expectantly. Have your Bibles open. Read along. Get one large enough to read. Learn the order of books of the Bible.

Listen with your eyes on eternity

·        The pulpit is a mountain vista. From it, we can see the billowing smoke of hell and the radiant glory of heaven. Listen, knowing that you will die and face judgment, and be accountable for what you have heard.

·        Every sermon will affect our eternity, and the eternity of others

·        2 Timothy 4:1-2 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;

·        George Whitfield: If an earthly king were to issue a royal proclamation, and the life or death of his subjects entirely depended on performing or not performing its conditions, how eager would they be to hear what those conditions were!

Listen with a plan to apply

·        Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

·        James 1:22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

·        SPECK is a helpful acronymn: sins to avoid, promises to claim, examples to follow, commands to obey, knowledge about God and man to understand (theology is practical!). Seek to make immediate and long-term changes.

Conclusion: some practical ways to listen better

·        Prepare Before - week before, night before, morning of, in the sanctuary, during the service; body, mind, soul. Ask the holy spirit for help. Read the psg. in advance; get ample sleep

·        Listen During - ignore distractions, follow along in Bible, catch the main point, flow of thought, take notes. This is a spiritual event. How should I be convicted? How should I be encouraged? Block out distractions, concentrate hard; anticipate; don’t judge until comprehension complete; listen objectively, sit closer to front where you can best see and hear.

·        Follow-up After - How to benefit from the sermon after it is completed – pray, recall, meditate, evaluate, discuss, apply long-term and immediate. Evaluate – was passage interpreted correctly? Supported? How does this relate to me? How would this apply in my situation? How does this affect long-term goals and values in my life. What changes do I need to make immediately? What steps will I take to change?

· John MacArthur: “You cannot worship God any more than by reverently listening to God’s Word being preached with a heart eager to obey.  That is the highest expression of worship, hearing God’s Word with an eagerness to obey it. “