Editor’s Note: The following is the second installment of Brother Hiram Kemp’s article. We are delighted to have him with us this week to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Follow Along in Your Own Bible
The Bereans have been praised for their studious effort, but we should keep in mind that they were studying the scriptures collectively as Paul and his companions preached in the synagogue (Acts 17:11-12). When you are listening to a sermon, be sure to follow along in your own Bible (preferably a paper copy so that you are not tempted to go off and search for other things and check emails on a phone or tablet in the middle of the sermon). The preacher may put verses on a screen, or it may be printed in a bulletin, but you will benefit greatly and improve your comprehension if you follow along in your own copy of the Bible.
Your copy of the word of God makes it personal. As you read, underline, and highlight passages so you are taking ownership of your study of the sermon, it will help the material to stick in your mind (Ps. 37:31). Read along as the passage is explained and maybe write things down that you hope to go back and study in more detail later. Do not approach the sermon as a spectator, approach it as a participant. Bring your Bible and engage during the sermon.
Don’t Be Afraid to Think
While listening to a sermon involves a passive posture, we must not take that too far. As you are listening to a sermon, be sure to think about what’s being said. Compare what you are hearing to what the Bible says in its totality on the subject. While the local preacher must not be held in suspicion from week to week, be sure that the things being taught harmonize with scripture (1 Thess. 5:21; 1 John 4:1). Think through the sermon and its implication and wrestle internally with what it means for you.
Do not listen to a sermon and view it as a good factual talk that changes nothing about your life. Ask yourself how your life will be changed if you adopted one of the biblical principles taught during the lesson. Ask yourself what promises of God you have rejected that you need to embrace more fully. Ask yourself how you can develop more Christlikeness because of what you have heard.
We are all guilty of listening to sermons and thinking the wrong things. Our thoughts go off into other areas. Or we think of hypercritical things that the preacher should have done better or focus in on a grammatical mistake he made. We should think more fruitfully while we listen to sermons. Listen to sermons and meditate on good things (Phil. 4:8).
Don’t Forget That It’s God’s Word
Christians profess a belief that the Bible is the word of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17). This means that when the Bible is faithfully taught and preached, God is communicating with us through his word. Does the way we listen to sermons reflect this reality? If someone recorded us during sermons or could listen in on our thoughts, would they get the impression that we believe God is speaking to us through his word?
When we listen to sermons, we should remember that, ultimately, how we treat the message of God’s word is how we treat him. Psalm 119 is a rich passage where the psalmist praises and extols God’s word and we need to do the same. As we prepare to hear a preacher proclaim the gospel, we should think less about him and more about the God behind the message (2 Cor. 4:5). Remember as you listen to sermons that God is speaking to you.
There are more things we could mention that might help us, like sitting closer to the front, arriving earlier at services, getting a good night’s rest beforehand, praying about having a clear and focused mind, taking notes, and studying your Bible on your own throughout the week. Hopefully, a few of these thoughts will help us to listen better to sermons and walk away with more from the sermon. Above all, let’s keep in mind that the goal is not just to hear but to do:
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (James 1:22-25)