TAKE HEED HOW YE HEAR!!
The word of God is central to the Christian faith and the believer’s life. How much of the word the believer knows and does dictates his altitude and the richness of his spiritual life. The bible is the word of God and often central in a good Christian assembly.
The word is being preached by faithful ministers in undiluted way so the believer is prepared for heaven. However, how we hear determines how much profit we will have in the word.
The lord Jesus spoke the parable of the sower to depict that the heart, attitude and disposition the believer manifests while listening to preachers dictates how much fruitful they will be. Have you ever wondered why people come to the church where truth is preached and remained unsaved for years? Have you wondered why people will be under expository and anointed messages and still commit heinous sins and do things that are shocking? It is probably because of the manner in which they take in the word.
The world in which we live has become super busy that if care is not taken, the living word of Christ will be choked up. Many come to the church and special programs to only listen to those teachers that are on the high pedestal. They tune off when young and developing preachers come on the pulpit or do not even show up for such church programs. Some others lose interest when a preacher is not charismatic or preach in a style that captivates them.
The busy world has also made preaching time a dozing / sleeping time for many. Those who will not dare to sleep in important secular meetings will sleep off only 10 minutes into a spiritual sermon and only wake up intermittently. When the preacher calls out a bible passage, they write in the name of jotting and sleep off again immediately. They don’t open their bible to follow on the message, talk less of jotting spiritual interpretations and revelation from those scriptures. Take heed how ye hear!.
These same busy lives have made men and women absent minded in the presence of God. How will you explain answering amen to statements or spiritual passages that do not warrant it? It is absent mindedness.
Some people have also made a sieve in the mind for the word of God coming out to them. They allow some pass through their heart while others become impenetrable. They have forgotten Revelation 22:18&19 which forbid subtracting from and adding to the word of God so we do not miss heaven.
How about staying alert and following through on messages, only to be asked five minutes after the message on what the believer gains from the sermon and he will not remember anything, I mean nothing. If we do not remember, how do we practice them? Remember not only the hearer of the word will be blessed but the doers, James 1:22.
Some believers now use bible apps on their phones during sermons. They are soon distracted by notifications from various apps on the phone especially social media, they cannot concentrate anymore. Worst still, some even go with no bible at all. Carry your bible with you brethren.
Put aside whatever will hinder you from benefiting maximally from the word. Jot actively during messages so your mind is not distracted. Open scriptures along with the preacher so you do not suddenly sleep off. Have a receptive mind to hear anyone God is using to speak to you, even if he is a new convert. Jot down the illustrations and revelations and take note of areas you specifically want to pray about. Don’t just archive your jotter, refer to it often and benefit maximally from the word. All these are necessary so we can bear fruits in hundred folds and not be unfruitful in the word of truth.
May the Lord help you and me to be fruitful hearers of the word (Amen).