How many sermons have you heard in your lifetime?
Maybe you haven’t been a Christian long, and your catalog of sermon experiences is rather brief.
Or perhaps, like me, you have been a believer for most of your life and have heard more sermons than you can count.
But regardless of which category you fall into, how many of those sermons do you actually remember?
Let’s make it easier.
When was the last sermon you heard? What was it about? What specific truth did God speak to you through that sermon?
Are We Accountable for What We Hear?
If we’re not careful, listening to sermons can become a perfunctory task that we dutifully endure on Sunday.
We’re supposed to go to church, and sermons are part of “church,” so we sit through one.
But does God hold us accountable for how we listen to and learn from the preaching of His Word?
In Luke 8, Jesus told one of His best-known parables—the Parable of the Sower and the Soils.
After explaining the importance of the parables, Jesus warned His disciples:
“Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”
—Luke 8:18
Notice what Jesus says: Take care how you hear.
Not just what you hear, but how you hear.
Are we paying attention? Are we listening to learn? Are we prepared to respond to what God teaches us?
We should be careful that we don’t find ourselves educated far beyond our obedience.
So how can we become better hearers of God’s Word?
1. Pray Before You Listen
Ask God to open your ears, your eyes, and your heart.
Pray before the sermon.
Pray before you go to church.
Pray on Saturday night.
Pray throughout the week.
A good pastor bathes the sermon he prepares in prayer. A good listener prays both for the pastor’s preparation to preach and for his own preparation to hear.
John Piper suggests what he calls the IOUS prayer:
I — Incline: “Incline my heart to your testimonies.” (Psalm 119:36)
O — Open: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” (Psalm 119:18)
U — Unite: “Unite my heart to fear your name.” (Psalm 86:11)
S — Satisfy: “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love.” (Psalm 90:14)
Before asking God to speak through the sermon, prepare yourself to listen.
2. Read the Passage in Advance
If you know the sermon text ahead of time, read it before Sunday.
Maybe even read it in several different translations.
Write down questions you have about the passage. Make note of things that stand out to you.
Then come to church already familiar with the text and ready to hear it explained.
3. Take a Bible to Church
Don’t rely solely on the Bible text displayed on the screen. Have a Bible in your hand—either a physical Bible or an electronic copy.
If you use an electronic Bible, turn off notifications, put your device in airplane mode, or activate Do Not Disturb.
Don’t let your Bible carrier become a distraction from your Bible.
If you use a physical Bible, I’d suggest leaving the study Bible at home. The temptation can be to compare the study notes with what the pastor is saying rather than simply listening to the sermon.
Study Bibles are great. Use them for study at home. On Sunday, focus on listening.
4. Take Effective Notes
I wouldn’t suggest trying to copy the pastor’s outline meticulously. Follow it generally, but leave yourself room to record more than his points.
As you listen, write down the thoughts, questions, convictions, and applications that come to mind.
I call this note-journaling rather than simply note-taking.
Don’t just write down what the pastor is saying. Write down what God is teaching you through His Word.
Then revisit those notes Sunday evening and several times during the week. Remind yourself of what you heard and what you intended to do about it.
5. Do What God Says
Finally—and most importantly—do something with what you hear.
One of the main points of Jesus’ warning to His disciples is that we are expected to respond faithfully to the truth we receive.
A sermon isn’t finished when the preacher says, “Amen.”
In one sense, that’s when our part begins.
Don’t listen for information. Listen for transformation.
Give It a Try
I can’t guarantee that any of these things will make your pastor a better preacher.
But I have a pretty good idea they’ll make you a better listener.
So here’s the question:
Which one of these will you do this week to prepare yourself for Sunday’s sermon?