I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 1 Timothy 3:14-15
BEHAVE AS GOD’S HOUSEHOLD: NEW SERIES IN 1 TIMOTHY
This Sunday we begin the study of a new book on Sunday mornings – 1 Timothy. I will be preaching verse-by-verse through this first letter of the Pastoral Epistles. Under the inspiration of the Spirit, Paul penned a practical letter reminding Timothy and the church in Ephesus about how the church was to behave. As God’s Word, the letter is filled with truth that is pertinent for us today. Please pray for our church as we plunge into this new series and come as Spirit-filled listeners this Sunday.
HOW TO LISTEN TO A SERMON
A lot is at stake every Sunday when God’s word is read and explained. God uses the preaching of his Word to bring the dead to life and cause immature believers to grow toward maturity. Still, let us admit, there are times it can be challenging to listen. Here are 5 ways you can be prepared to listen this Sunday:
1. Be prepared to listen. Arrive on Sunday with prayerful excitement about what the Lord will do. During the preceding days pray regularly for your pastor as he studies. Pray for your church, for non-believers, and for yourself. Bring your Bible so you can track along with the passage. Many are helped by taking notes, so you may want to bring a pen and journal. Get a good night’s sleep and eat a good breakfast, no one can listen if you are tired and hungry.
2. Listen actively. During the sermon put your phone away and focus on the preacher and on your Bible. I recommend using a physical Bible, rather than an app on your phone. A paper Bible has no distracting notifications, the screen does not time out, and it requires no battery. Throughout the entire sermon keep your Bible open and follow along with the development of the message. Encourage the preacher with a friendly facial expression and eye contact. Nod in agreement and encourage him with “That’s right” and “Amen.”
3. Listen with affections. The sermon is the high point of the gathered worship of the church. Your mind and heart must participate if worship is to be in “spirit and in truth”. As the sermon points you to the Lord, allow your affections to soar with awe, thanksgiving, and wonder. When emotions of lament, conviction, and brokenness arise do not ignore them. They are God’s gift to you.
4. Listen critically. Pay attention to the content of the sermon to verity it is rooted in the Bible and rightly setting forth sound doctrine (like the Bereans in Acts 17:11). Query the text. Is the sermon on point with the Scripture? If it is, then such sermons may not be safely ignored. Accept faithful preaching as a message from the Lord.
5. Listen to apply. Pay attention to ways the Holy Spirit use the sermon to pinpoint aspects of your life that need attention. The preacher may bring some helpful points of suggested application, but ultimately each person is responsible for listening and applying to their unique circumstances. Be doers of the word, and not hearers only (James 1:22).
In his second letter to his younger ministry partner, Paul charged Timothy with the immense importance of preaching the Word of God. May we approach the sermon this, and every, Sunday as Spirit-filled listeners:
Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 2 Timothy 4:2-4
For His Glory,
Pastor Thomas