How To Listen To Sermons
Dear Church Family,
Each Lord’s Day, we gather for one of the greatest privileges in the Christian life: hearing God’s Word preached. Sermons aren’t just lectures or Ted Talks to sit through without involvement. They are a means of grace through where God works to transform His people.
Listening to a sermon is an active, spiritual discipline. How we prepare to listen and respond afterward matters deeply to our spiritual growth.
Here are some Biblical principles to help us grow in maturity as faithful hearers of God’s Word:
1. Prepare Your Heart: Come Hungry for God’s Word
God’s Word is our spiritual food. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Like newborn babies crave milk, we are called to “long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation” (1 Peter 2:2).
Ephesians 2:17 reminds us that when the gospel is proclaimed, it is Christ Himself who speaks. Paul writes, “And he [Christ] came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.” While Jesus was no longer on earth physically, He “preached” to the Ephesians through His apostles and ministers.
This means that when a sermon is faithfully preached from Scripture, it’s not merely the voice of a man you are hearing—it’s the voice of Christ. As John Calvin explained, “When a man climbs up into the pulpit… it is [so] God may speak to us by the mouth of a man.”
With this in mind, prepare for Sunday to hear from the Lord. Pray as Samuel did in 1 Samuel 3:9, “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.”
Before you even step into the sanctuary, take time to prepare yourself.
Read the passage beforehand: Familiarize yourself with the text being preached.
Pray for readiness: Ask God to soften your heart, remove distractions, and make you eager to receive His Word.
Confess sin: Sin left unconfessed can harden our hearts and hinder us from hearing (Psalm 66:18).
And come expecting to hear from Him: The Word of God is living and active (Hebrews 4:12).
So resolve to come hungry and expectant, trusting that God will feed your soul through His Word.
2. Pray for the Preacher and the Congregation
The Apostle Paul often asked churches to pray for him as he preached, saying, “[Pray] also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:19).
The preaching of the Word is a weighty task. Pray for me and for all who share God’s Word in our church, that we would be faithful and clear in proclaiming the gospel. Also, pray for your fellow listeners, that the Holy Spirit would illuminate the truths being preached and apply them to each heart.
3. Engage Actively: Listen Like a Berean
The Bereans in Acts 17:11 are a great example for us. They “received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” Like them, we should receive the Word eagerly. Bring your Bible to church, take notes, and ask yourself:
What does this passage teach about God?
How does it point me to Christ?
What does it require of me in my thoughts, words, and actions?
Listening well is a discipline. When the Word is preached, don’t just hear it—truly listen.
And don’t forget: Be like the Bereans! They didn’t take everything at face value; instead, they examined the Scriptures daily to see if what they were hearing was true. Always measure the sermon against the Bible because it alone is the ultimate authority.
4. Respond with Faith and Obedience: Leave Full
James 1:22 reminds us: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” A sermon isn’t fully “heard” until it’s applied.
Maturity means not just agreeing with the Word but allowing it to shape every area of our lives. Jesus said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24).
Listening well means listening with a heart ready to respond in faith and obedience.
After the sermon, reflect on it. Talk about it with your family on the way home from church or at the lunch table, and ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to live out what you’ve heard. These conversations can help reinforce what God is teaching you.
5. Be Easily Edified: Rejoice in the Simple Truths
A mature Christian doesn’t need flashy presentations or complicated messages to be fed.
One of the marks of a mature Christian is a willingness to be easily edified by God’s truth.
Maturity is marked by being easily edified. Are you willing to rejoice even in the most basic truths of the gospel? Think of the psalmist who said, “I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil” (Psalm 119:162). The Word of God is always life-giving—whether it convicts, comforts, or challenges us.
Resolve to come hungry and leave full. Even if the sermon reminds you of truths you’ve already heard, ask God to deepen your understanding and grow your faith. As Paul reminded Timothy, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
God has promised that His Word “shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose” (Isaiah 55:11). Every sermon is an opportunity for transformation. Let us come each Lord’s Day ready to hear, eager to learn, and resolved to live out God’s truth for His glory and our good.
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Word and the privilege of hearing it preached. Prepare our hearts each week to receive it with humility and faith. Help us to listen attentively, examine all things by Scripture, and respond in obedience. Bless the preaching of Your Word in our church, and by Your Spirit, use it to conform us to Christ. For Your glory and our good, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.