Expository Listening
Years ago, I was reading an article (I believe it was in the Gospel Advocate) by Charles Hodge. In that article, he wrote that the primary target for God’s word is the ear. That statement struck me and Hodge gave biblical evidence for his contention.
Indeed, we normally start the “plan of salvation” by saying that the sinner must hear the Word of God. As bookends on both sides of the Parable of the Sower / Soils, Jesus says, “Listen to this!” (Mark 4:3) and “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (4:9).
Have you ever thought that you needed to improve your listening-to-sermons-skills? Have you ever thought you needed to become a better expository listener?
That’s the theme of a book by Ken Ramey, entitled appropriately enough Expository Listening: A Handbook for Hearing and Doing God’s Word. Lance Quinn writes in the Forward, “Listening to a sermon, really listening – as in thinking, praying, following the argument, concentrating on the meaning and its application to your life – now that’s hard work! …Actively listening to the preaching of God’s Word requires mental alertness, focused attention, and a spiritually receptive heart” (xi).
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He is exactly right and goes on to discuss “Biblical Audiology: A Theology of Listening.” He quotes numerous passages that emphasize hearing and obeying God’s Word. Ramey believes in a more direct operation of the Holy Spirit in the process than the Scriptures will allow but he has much to say that is worthy.
He spends a couple of chapters dealing with our hearts and how we need to “harrow” our hearts before the Sunday sermon so that we’ll get the most out of the sermons. He recommends: Read and meditate on God’s Word every day; Pray throughout the week; Confess your sin; Reduce your media intake; Schedule your week around the ministry of the word; Be consistent in church attendance; Go to church with a humble, teachable, expectant heart; Worship with all your heart; Fight off distractions; Listen with diligent discernment; Prepare your heart and soul.
We have long emphasized that preachers need to preach expositorily. Ramey has done us a service by emphasizing also the need to listen expositorily. The church at Swartz Creek will be hearing more about how they can listen to the sermon to get more out of it!
–Paul Holland
