Getting the Most Out of Every Sermon (Including This One)

Title: Getting the Most Out of Every Sermon

Introduction
I recently did a survey on my blog: www.mattmessner.com
Top Ten Things People Do During a Boring Sermon
1. Check scores on their PDA
2. Balance their checkbook
3. Practice making origami with bulletin inserts, offering checks or $20 bills
a. Whoever makes the fan – you do a great job.
4. Learn to sleep while keeping their head upright
5. Knit --
6. Pass notes – my wife and I do this a lot.
7. Write task lists
8. Savor a latte
9. Make flip books in the corner of your Bible
10. Take a visual survey of the congregation to see who is awake, who is sleeping, and who is looking around like you.
11. Count the heads of the bald men sitting in the congregation
It is unfortunate that the people I talk to are quick to come up with their favorite things to do during a boring sermon. It’s important that a preacher preach a good sermon, but it’s up to you and I to learn how to listen to a sermon.
We spend a lot of time listening to sermons, but Christians are rarely taught how to listen to sermons. Our approach and response to the spoken Word of God is to be distinct from the way we approach listening to a story, or a motivational speech. And the Bible gives us instructions on how we should listen “differently”.
I enjoy getting some feedback following a sermon. It is affirming when a person will say, “Great sermon Pastor.” The dangerous question I can ask in that moment is, “Thank-you. Now what was it that was said that you liked about the sermon?” At that point the person will often become nervous, their mind will begin racing, and without saying a word, their body language communicated the truth: “I can’t remember what was said, but it sure was good.” Have you ever had this problem? I know that I have been there many times. Times where the message was inspiring, interesting, funny, the preacher was enthusiastic, but I don’t really know what he/she said.
I have entitled my message, “Getting the Most Out of Every Sermon.” Applying this message will help you do just that. The end result is that it will help you live differently during the week. It will help you apply the Word of God, not just while you’re sitting in your seat, but when you’re sitting in your cubicle or office, or as you’re driving out of the parking lot traffic of EFC. It doesn’t matter how good a sermon was if it isn’t applied. The hearer has a tremendous responsibility regarding what they do with God’s word.
James 1:22-25 gives us some keys to getting the most out of the Word of God whenever it is taught or read. Please open your Bibles to James 1 and follow along with me as I begin reading from verse 22.
NIV 22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.


I. NRSV 22Be doers of the Word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.

A basic study of the Greek text, or other translations besides the NIV, will reveal a slightly different emphasis. Instead of beginning with a negative, the Greek text begins with a positive imperative statement: My translation: Become and continue to be doers of the Word and not only hearers who are (misjudging, rationalizing, using faulty logic)

The command/challenge is to be/become a doer of the Word. This is to be who you are, as a person. You are to be a person of action. One who applies the word of God. This is set in stark contrast to the one who merely hears the Word. A person who only hears to the word of God is guilty of “deceiving themselves”. They misjudge the importance of application. They find ways of rationalizing and explaining away their responsibility to apply the Word.

Have you ever met someone who knows the Bible but cannot live it out? I know people like this. I see one such person every time I look in the mirror. But the danger is becoming a person who doesn’t care, or doesn’t try. There always exists the real temptation to dismiss ourselves from the responsibility that we have to live out the things that we learn. There must be a proactive response to the Word every time we hear it.

It isn’t that we don’t know what to do. The problem often is that we have a tendency to rationalize away our responsibility to act.

We may hear and know what is right, but to become a doer is not always easy. I see this all the time as a parent. When our children were young, I remember going to them one Saturday morning and saying, it’s time to clean your room. “OK. Yes daddy.” I would say, we’re going to the lake today, but before we leave I need you to pick up your toys and make your bed. OK, it sounds like fun. Then Heidi and I would go and make a lunch, get together some towels, and toys, and books and sunscreen. Then we would go to their room, and guess what.
They would be in there, in the middle of their mess, playing with their toys.

Even though they knew, that a wonderful day at the lake was planned (there was a reward), and they heard the command (knew what they were to do), and they expressed a momentary desire and intent to do it, it was quickly forgotten. The motivation was lost. Distractions crept in. These tendencies sometime carry right over into our adulthood.

I have to ask myself, what character flaws or sinful behaviors, keep me from applying the Word to my life, in action? I don’t want to become a person with a head full of good theology, but a life that does not glorify God.

Point #1: To be a good sermon listener application and activation must override information and rationalization.
II. NIV 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
My translation: A person that is a hearer of the word and not a doer, is like a man who considers his natural face in a mirror and after glancing at himself, when he leaves he immediately forgets the sort of person he was.
Explain James’s illustration: (simile): A hearer (only) is like a person who glances at himself in a mirror – for a moment he or she sees who they really are. But immediately after taking that glance they spend their day with a wrong view of who they are or what they look like. They don’t even know what they look like.

Now how is a hearer of the Word, like this person?
The Word of God is truth. It shows us who God, but it also tells us who we are. It tells us about life, eternity, how to live, how to be blessed, how to behave, how to love, how to make a difference in this world. It tells you what you’re worth, how much you’re loved. It tells you what Jesus can do for you. It tells us about the awesome work the HS can do in your life.

If you look into this mirror (the Word of God), it accurately reveals the real You, and the world in which you live. But if we merely hear it, and fail to do it, than we too will continue to live with a distorted view of both ourselves, God, and the world in which we live. Not only that but you will present a broken reflection of God to the world.

We all want to know who we are. “Know thyself” (Thales – 600BC). Paul Tournier, in “The Meaning of Persons” wrote, “How can we discover the true person when we see only distorted and varied images of it, and when these images derive their origin not only from the man himself, but also from ourselves, and from the whole environment to which he belongs? It is no use trying to arrive at an exact picture by adding all the many false images together. That would be like trying to get a complete picture of an individual by superimposing hundreds of different negatives of him on one photographic print. Synthesis is not addition.”

We try to discover who we are by talking to counselors. We ask other people. We seek to discover own identity by obtaining feedback from others.

But an accurate view of ourselves will come from studying and acting upon God’s Word. This is the mirror that accurate shows me who I am.

For me if I’m not careful, listening to a sermon can be like trying to learn someone’s name for the first time. It is not to be as a casual glance, a brief encounter (contrasted later).

I need to discover a way by which I am able to apply Pastor Jim’s sermons, not while I’m sitting here as much as I need to apply it on Wednesday night…I need to remember the sermon on patience when I’m in gridlock traffic and my plans for the day are going out the window. I need to remember the sermon on humility when I say something hurtful to my wife, and need to seek forgiveness. We must find ways to give the Word staying power in our lives.
Point #2: A hearer will have a distorted/flawed view of themselves, God, and the people around them.
III. NIV 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
My translation: But the man who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and remains there (in his heart), not forgetting what he’s heard, but instead being/becoming a doer of action, this person will be blessed in what he does.
Explain: Instead of glancing into a mirror and “immediately forgetting”, a doer of the Word looks intently at the Good News. They give careful consideration and attention to what is being taught – (perseveres in it). They stay with the Word and the Word stays with them. They don’t forget the truth and its implications. And then they become a person of action. This person will be blessed in what he or she does.
I enjoy playing an occasional board game. Everyone in my family know, that according to me, games must be played according to the rules. So, typically, I have the rules with me, to consult as needed, throughout the game. This really annoys the rest of my family. I don’t care how you play board games, but when it comes to life, find ways of keeping the Word close…accessible, memorable.
The Good News is news of freedom and blessing. It is like a map, providing our lives with directions. But it requires more than a cursory glance. So many times I have glanced at a map, or quickly reviewed directions, only to get lost winding through streets that lead me everywhere except to my destination. If only I had memorized the map, or at least written out clearer instructions for myself! Cell phones have helped lost drivers – I will sometimes call my wife and say, honey, I am lost. Now where is it? How do I get there?
Take the map with you! Call for instructions! Drive to your destination!
You will be blessed if you will respond to the Word with applied action.

Life Application Journals:
Scripture
Psalm 19:7-11
“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned. In keeping them is great reward.”

Observation
Romans 15:4 “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
It is good to learn from the experience of others. Some Scripture is written in the form of instructions. Instructions are helpful in any context, but I have noticed that some instructions are rather obvious.
For example, on a child's Superman costume: Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly. How many of you have actually tried this?
On Tesco's Tiramisu dessert: (printed on bottom of the box) Do not turn upside down. (Too late! you lose!)
Scriptures on judgment are not written for people for when it’s too late. Convicting Scriptures are written to motivate us to live differently now.
On packaging for a Rowenta iron: Do not iron clothes on body. (But wouldn't that save more time?) (Whose body?)
On Boot's Children's cough medicine: Do not drive car or operate machinery. (We could do a lot to reduce the construction accidents if we just kept those 5 year olds off those fork lifts.)
On Nytol sleep aid: Warning: may cause drowsiness. (One would hope!)
On a string of Christmas lights: For indoor or outdoor use only. (As opposed to use in outer space, or underwater)
On Sainsbury's peanuts: Warning: contains nuts. (but no peas?)
On a Swedish chainsaw: Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands. (Raise your hand if you've tried this...)
A careful observation of Scripture will show us lessons and instructions from God himself, as well as the experiences of others. As you’re reading, write down your observations of what is being said. Write down questions that you have. What points of instruction come to you as you read the text? What is it saying, in its context?

Application
James 1

Prayer
One of the most valuable exercises I engage in, in my own journaling.
Bible reading plan, or it can be used along side the One Year Bible or the plan written in our bulletin.
Matt,
Looking forward to another year of growth in the Life Journal
We talk with others about the importance of yielding to Christ. It is when we "position" ourselves to hear from Him, accept His corrections & reproofs that the grace of God floods our lives. The Life Journal has allowed me to "position" myself to allow God to destroy the "self-life" in me (the independence that sucks the life out of my relationship with Him).
I am encouraged as God reveals Himself in my life in meaningful ways. I feel a growth as He encourages me to rely on the Body of Christ. I have watched God use the Life Journal to open my eyes to His ways, His thoughts & His direction.
I guarantee that anyone who submits themselves to this simple discipline will be changed in a dramatic way.
I use this tool along with the daily writings of Oswald Chambers and Francois' Fenelon.
God is GOOD!
Diana

Point #3: To be a good sermon listener, the Word Heard Must Become the Word Served.
This is the critical connection. I must be careful not to disconnect. We must work hard to get things from our ears, into our hearts.
Top Five Things To Do During A Sermon (How to apply)
1. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you and work in your life. Ask Him to show you where you are to apply it.
2. Study the Word carefully.
3. What is the Word telling you to do?
4. Take notes and review them later if necessary. (Bible, journal, pen, planner)
5. Determine how you can live differently, and begin doing it immediately.
I like the promise “The one who does this, will be blessed in what you do”. We all want to be blessed in our lives – this is a key to that.