Are You Ready to Listen to God's Word Proclaimed? Part 1

Ken Ramey wrote an excellent book called Expository Listening where he talks about how to listen to God's Word being preached. Over the next few posts, we will be looking at what the Bible says about hearing God’s Word. There is a big emphasis on not just hearing, but also obeying it, practicing it, doing it. We will be studying some of those passages, and applying those principles to our personal sermon listening. But we will begin this study with establishing a Biblical audiology: the study of hearing God’s Word (p. 10). Why should we do it? He provides four reasons, which I have slightly modified into five reasons.

First, God gave His Word to us. Two passages are important to review. In 1 Timothy 3:16, we are told that God’s Word is inspired, literally, “God-breathed”. They are the very words of God. Of course, that means that the teacher has a serious responsibility to be faithful in proclaiming, but it is also a serious responsibility for the listener to hear it. In our study we will focus on what it means to actually “hear” God’s Word.

In 2 Peter 1:20-21, we find out that scripture came to the writers as they were moved by God, which tells us the “how” of God breathing out His Word. What we hear when listening to an expository message, is God’s Word. Of course, human teachers are subject to error, but as they are faithful in preparing and presenting the Word of God to their audience, it will be their intent to accurately present God’s message. We do well when we act like the Bereans (Acts 17:11)

Second, we have not obeyed God’s Word. This was the practice of the first people God created. They knew God’s Word, and they chose to disobey it. The same is true of every human being ever since. Ephesians 2:1-3 describes the sinful condition of every person: we are all dead in our transgressions and sins. Romans 5:12-21 makes it clear that this is the result of Adam’s sin.

Third, God has saved us with His Word. Numerous places in the Bible tell us it is the Word of God itself that brings us salvation. 1 Peter 1:23 is very clear: “you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.” Romans 10:17 also tells us that our faith comes from the Word. In this verse (“faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ”), the “word” is actually referring to the spoken word (rhema) in contrast to the message (logos).

Fourth, God enables us to understand His Word. Being a child of God gives us the privilege of the ministry of the Spirit of God. Jesus taught His disciples in John 16:13 that the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth. In 1 Corinthians 2:11-13 we are told that the Holy Spirit who gives us the ability to comprehend those things that God wants us to know.

Fifth, God blesses us when we listen to His Word. This is the part that we may intellectually know, but we end up ignoring. We do a lot of listening. We hear a lot of sermons and Bible teaching from many different sources. But we are told that we are only blessed if we “do” them. Consider Luke 11:28. And when Jesus was told that His family was outside, he said, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.” (Luke 8:21).

When the Bible talks about “hearing” the Word of God, it is clearly implied and often explicitly stated that it comes with the responsibility to do something with it. As we continue our study on this topic in the weeks ahead, that will be our emphasis. When we are finished, we will hopefully be different types of “listeners” than we have been in the past. We will not only listen, but we will be prepared to listen, and we will do something about what we heard.