When you attend the house of God to hear the Word of God, what kind of listener are you? A passive listener or an engaged listener? As a minister of the Word of God, the engaged listener is certainly my kind of listener. Let all those who minister the Word of God say, Amen.
After Paul and Silas left Thessalonica, they came to a place called Berea. There, they met some believers who loved hearing God’s Word. “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11, KJV).
In these Berean believers, we see two vital characteristics of an engaged listener. Let us look at each of these more closely:
Two Habits of an Engaged Listener
One, an engaged listener receives the word with all readiness of mind. That means they attentively hear the Word because they have a healthy appetite for the same. Like the Bereans, we should always come to the house of God ready to hear from Him. That means our heart must be open to His Word. This is the only way the Bible can benefit us and change our life.
On next weekend, look among the congregation you belong to while your pastor delivers his sermon. Not everybody will be paying attention. Some attendees will carry on their two-person conversations. Perhaps some of the young adults will use the time to text or to interact with their social media friends. Oh, and some will be bored to sleep during the preaching or teaching.
Two, an engaged listener searches the Scriptures to see whether or not the things being said are so. Now remember who ministered to the people in Berea. It was Paul the Lord’s great apostle. But that did not matter to the Berean believers. They still checked out the things Paul and Silas said. Similarly, when we attend a church service, even if a world-renown preacher is ministering the Word, we must not listen passively. We should seek to know if what is being said from the pulpit lines up with what the Scriptures say.
Sad but true, too many believers who come to hear the Word of God take in and soak up everything they hear. They passively accept everything from the pulpit as the gospel. No wonder we have so many divergent teachings within Christendom.
So, what kind of listener are you in church? A passive listener? Or are you an active, engaged listener like the ones Paul and Silas found in Berea? The Bible is our main guide for effective Christian living. One way God speaks to us is through ministers He has called and anointed to minister the Word of God. But it’s our responsibility to come to the house of God with our heart open and ready to hear from heaven.
Copyright © 2022 by Frank King. All rights reserved.