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“ Summary, Part 5 (final) ” But wisdom does not always gain the audience that she deserves. The end of all that will not hear is death and destruction. Wisdom gives one final appeal—and holds out a wonderfully blessed promise—to those who take care that they hear. PROVERBS 1:33: “But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” This promise belongs to all that strive to not merely to survive, but to thrive in their pastor’s preaching.
Ian Migala (6/7/2013)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 4 ” HEBREWS 4:12: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Don’t permit your judging of the sermon to quench the Holy Spirit’s judging of you. LUKE 8:18: “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.” E. BE CAREFUL THAT YOU HEAR. HEBREWS 12:25: “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:” Let’s face it: many people (most, I would say) simply refuse to hear the world of the Lord at all. Many hear and are none better for their hearing, but only worse. We must also heed what we hear. Obedience is glory to God, Who gives us ears to hear, and feet to obey. In the first chapter of PROVERBS, Solomon pictures wisdom as a woman that calls to men in the streets to come and receive her blessings (PROVERBS 1:20, 24-32).
Ian Migala (6/7/2013)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 3 ” 6. COMMIT YOURSELF TO APPLYING AND OBEYING GOD’S WORD AS IT IS SET FORTH IN THE SERMON. HEBREWS 4:1-2: “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 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.” Hearing is not always the same as listening, just as eating is not the same as metabolizing. Yet how many seem content to hear a sermon without taking it to heart, without taking from it something practical and life-changing? We hear profitably when we intend to heed what God says in His world. JOHN 7:17:”If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” There is a direct correlation between teachability and understanding. Listen to the sermon with your mind already made up: “I’m here to believe something, implement something, apply something, and obey something.” This is what it means to unite faith with your hearing. A profitable hearer requires us to hear God’s message in the sermon without judging the preacher. The sermon is not primarily something that we evaluate or judge.
Ian Migala (6/7/2013)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 2 ” Have realistic expectations of your pastor. Pray for him. Further, pray for yourself as a hearer. Remember JAMES 4:2-3: “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” 5. LISTEN FOR AT LEAST ONE LIFE-TRANSFORMING TRUTH. One thing I find very interesting and enlightening from the occasional comments I receive from my preaching is that people sometimes take away very different things from the same sermon. I am thrilled if a listener tells me that the Holy Spirit impressed one significant issue on his hear during (or because of) my sermon. Let us seek to take away from any sermon at least one valuable nugget of truth. Mr. Spinney asks: “Should we respond verbally to everything our pastor preaches?” It is usually the case that we are rewarded with blessing from preaching proportionate to our anticipation. When you come to the public ministry of the word, do you come hungry, expecting to be fed?
Ian Migala (6/7/2013)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 1 ” [This series is based on Robert Spinney’s book of the same title.] D. BE CAREFUL HOW YOU HEAR. Continuing from last week: 4. BE DETERMINED TO LISTEN, REGARDLESS OF THE SPEAKER’S ORATORICAL SKILLS. Not all preachers are created equal. A preacher need not be thrilling to be useful. Over the years, I’ve known professing Christians that have left churches ostensibly because they became disenchanted with their pastor’s preaching. Here are some reasonable expectations that you should have regarding your pastor, preacher, or Bible teacher: a) he should present the contents of the Bible faithfully and accurately; b) he should routinely proclaim the Gospel, and especially the person of the Lord Jesus Christ; c) he should be sincere and serious about his duty to teach the word of God; d) he should display at least a measure of passion (or earnestness) as he presents Bible truths; e) his messages should be sufficiently clear and organized so a listener who is trying to understand is able to understand; f) he should consistently explain how Bible truths apply to real-life situations; g) he should exhibit at least some courage when it comes to handling unpopular issues; h) he should practice what he preaches: his personal life should harmonize with the Bible that he proclaims.
