Since I was on sabbatical this past summer, I had the privilege of sitting under the preaching of the Bible for a significant time. It was a reminder to me that it is not just the preacher who must prepare so the preaching is effective and bears fruit, the hearers must also do some work ahead of time. For your benefit (and that of your children, if you have children), let me share how we can go about this.
There is no better resource for how hearers must carry out that preparation leading up to hearing a sermon than the 90thquestion and answer in the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which has informed me for years.
Having just made the points that Christ grows and preserves us in our faith through the ordinary means or tools (the habits of grace) God has given, which includes the Bible (reading it and especially hearing it preached), prayer, assembling together as the church, and the gospel truth revealed through baptism and the Lord’s Supper, the question is then asked: “How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become effective for [our preservation in] salvation?”
The answer given is that, “We must give attention to it” in the following ways:
1. “With diligence:” In Proverbs 8:34, where we read of wisdom personified, it says: “Blessed[ly happy] is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.” There is a joy and great benefit that comes to those who daily search out the Scriptures for wisdom in life. When this is the heart habit with which people come to a sermon (they have been searching for wisdom in the Bible all week), they are far more likely to follow the sermon, work at figuring out how it applies to them, follow it to the end, and take it with them.
2. “With...preparation:” The great enemy of our souls seeks to steal away the seeds of the Word implanted through preaching of the Word (Matthew 13:19) and to cause us to doubt God and His promises in His Word (Eph. 6:16). As such, a person needs regularly to put on and take up all the armor of God (Eph. 6:10-18) so they can be ready to hear what the Spirit has to say to them through the Word of God (Rev. 2-3). Especially needed is the shield of faith with which the Christian can extinguish the arrows of doubt the enemy shoots. Finally, we must not miss something as simple as getting a good night of sleep before we assemble together with other Christians to hear God’s Word.
3. “With...prayer:” We not only fight against the enemy of our soul but also our own indwelling sin which causes our minds to wander and sometimes it simply leads persons not to understand or see the importance of preaching. Thus, as we read in Psalm 119:18, we must pray: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” This is a prayer request I regularly pray in both reading and hearing the Bible.
Additionally, the catechism reminds us that we must:
1. “Receive [the preaching of the Word] with faith and love:” Psalm 119:111 uncovers the heart attitude that prepares us for hearing God’s word in a way we delight in it and expect it to benefit us: “Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.” We should note also that one shaped and grown by the Word is far more likely to have faith that God is a rewarder of one who seeks Him (Heb. 11:6).
2. “Treasure it up in our hearts:” We must not overlook or forget the words Jesus spoke (Luke 11:28): “Blessedly happy...are those who hear the Word of God and guard it so as to keep it.” We understand that true, lasting happiness, as well as blessedly happy and flourishing life come from delighting in and following God’s Word (Psalm 1). In light of this, we delight in God’s Word (Psalm 112:1-2) and memorize Scripture so that we always have it with us and so we follow God (Psalm 119:11). Such persons have much greater ability to understand Bible preaching and teaching whenever they hear it.
3. “Practice it in our lives:” As doers of the Word (James 1:21-25) a greater hunger for God is grown in us, which leads to even greater love of God’s Word (see Psalms 111-112) and for God Himself, and a greater hunger for doing God’s Word.
May we learn to treasure the Word of God in all forms, including hearing it preached, as we remember the words of Proverbs 13:13: “Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.”
Joyfully Listening With You,
Tom
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