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“ Summary, Part 5 (final) ” 3. BE CAREFUL WHO YOU HEAR (2 TIMOTHY 4:3-4: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they HEAP TO THEMSELVES TEACHERS, HAVING ITCHING EARS; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” Note that “teachers” is plural; a common result of resisting soundness is a resistance to submitting to the teaching and ministry of one trusted pastor at a given time. Richard Baxter offered a twofold measure of good preaching: the matter, which should be clear and distinct, and the manner, which should be lively and convincing. Most Christians have their favorite preachers, but all must always listen for the voice of Christ in any preaching they hear. The Corinthian church were dividing into groups with favorite preachers, and Paul had to sort it out (1 CORINTHIANS 1:10-16). Such an approach is not Christ-honoring but pastor-honoring, and stunts spiritual growth. TO BE CONTINUED NEXT LORD’S DAY.
Ian Migala (5/6/2013)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 4 ” C. FIVE SUBORDINATE POINTS TO TAKING OUR SOBER RESPONSIBILITY SERIOUSLY: 1. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU HEAR (MARK 4:24: “And he said unto them, Take heed WHAT ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.”) Jesus’ caution immediately followed Mark’s parallel of the Parable of the Sower. The better we hear, the more we will be given to hear. We must avoid an Athenian, indiscriminate hunger of new ideas (ACTS 17:21) and adopt the Scripture-honoring, searching, Berean example (ACTS 17:11). As they were ideal searchers of Scripture, we must be Berean hearers of preaching. 2. BE CAREFUL WHY YOU HEAR (HEBREWS 4:2: “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached DID NOT PROFIT THEM, NOT BEING MIXED WITH FAITH in them that heard it.”) People go to church for different reasons. Joshua and Caleb heard for the right reasons, but most of the Hebrews did not, and perished in the wilderness. WHY did the people go out to see John the Baptist? WHY do you listen to sermons? Even in Biblical churches, some attend and “sit through” the sermons because they’re there for reasons other than Biblical edification.
Ian Migala (5/6/2013)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 3 ” 3. Our level of interest and attentiveness and our resulting benefit is determined by our spiritual health—not so much by the ability of the preacher. Jesus’ parables are a good example of this: those with ears to hear understand them, but the rest just hear them. Four types of hearers: a. Careless: hindered by a failure to digest the Word. He would rather watch the crows taking his seed away. b. Shallow: hampered by a failure to consider the Word. They appreciate the Gospel, but fail to consider the earthly price of salvation. c. Distracted: halted by distraction from the Word by the world. Very common; these people, dominated by their worldly affairs, fall upon a worldly view of the Bible rather than a Biblical view of the world. d. Good: helped by a prepared heart, receptive to the Word of truth. It is life to him. 4. It is of utmost importance that we who hear are as careful in our hearing as the pastor is in his preaching—if we would derive maximum benefit from the Word preached. The intense preacher manifests the eternal stakes at hand. The hearer should manifest the same.
Ian Migala (5/6/2013)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 2 ” ACTS 14:1: Paul and Barnabas preached to the Jews, but with such holy conviction that Jews AND Greeks were saved. 4. Unsuccessful efforts should not be understood as a measure of the preacher’s ability and faithfulness. Many heard Jesus, the perfect preacher, and didn’t get saved. 5. Such unsuccessful efforts should be understood in light of the preacher’s sphere of operations. The sower does not create the soil: God does. 6. But over time, a faithful preacher should expect that his sowing labors will not entirely be in vain. Good soil is to be found somewhere, and the Bible lists thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and hundredfold harvests on such ground, but not zerofold (MATTHEW 13:23). [Also remember that the harvest may be beyond the preacher’s awareness or time on earth. Search Ray Comfort’s inspiring “George Street Testimony”. –IM]. B. OBSERVATIONS REGARDING THE HEARER. 1. All who hear the Word of God preached hear the same good Word. 2. Not all hearers come to preaching with the same interest or go away with the same benefit. The benefit we receive from the good Word is proportionate to our attentiveness and interest. We should be just as eager for understanding as the preacher is for communicating.
Ian Migala (5/6/2013)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 1 ” JAMES 1:19-25: true blessing is not merely hearing the word, but hearing AND doing. Why do some get more out of Sunday service than others? Why do some get more benefit from mediocre preaching than from exquisite preaching? The church is less in need of eloquent preachers than of eloquent hearers. I. TAKE SERIOUSLY YOUR SOBER RESPONSIBILITY TO BE A CAREFUL HEARER. A careful hearer is one who hears and heeds the word of God. LUKE 8:4-15 is the Parable of the Sower (perhaps better thought of as a parable of the soils). A. OBSERVATIONS REGARDING THE PREACHER (SOWER). 1. The seed of the sower—the Word of God—is good no matter the kind of heart into which it is cast. Good news is still good news even if it falls on bad ears. 2. The sower—the faithful preacher—is responsible to broadcast that good seed upon all types of soil. The Elect are scattered where God places them and the Gospel is an instrument of common grace, good for everyone to hear. 3. Though the sower is to do his best to sow productively, he is powerless to make hearts good to receive the good seed. WE preach, but GOD saves. As Richard Baxter said, we are not to preach as dying men to dying men, but with the heart-understanding that eternal souls are at stake. Because they ARE.
Thomas Sullivan (5/5/2013)
from Jenison, MI
“ Interesting Title ” Since Pastor Nutter is one of my dearest pastor friends whose preaching I have sat under a time or two, I will just have to follow this series, but I don't know why. If you were Urian Oakes 1631 – July 25, 1681 of whom it was said that the hour glass was turned over in a single sermon four times, then I think falling off the wall while listening is justifiable. That would take some surviving. (Sabbath in Puritan New England, Alice M Earle, Page 79)
