WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.140 and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. 00:00:09.720 --> 00:00:13.880 Okay, so for the next three Sundays, we're going to think about some of the privileges that we 00:00:13.880 --> 00:00:20.080 share together, the privilege of praying together, the privilege of being the people of God and 00:00:20.080 --> 00:00:25.120 enjoying fellowship together. And this evening, we're going to think about hearing God's Word 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:34.660 together, and especially to think about preaching. But as we do that, I wonder if you can relate to 00:00:34.660 --> 00:00:42.120 any of the following. During a sermon such as this, on an evening such as this, do you ever, 00:00:42.960 --> 00:00:51.359 it's not intended to be a guilt trip, do you ever find yourself glazing over that struggle to stay 00:00:51.359 --> 00:01:02.299 awake, perhaps daydreaming? Do you ever find yourself planning for the week ahead? Your brain 00:01:02.299 --> 00:01:14.060 begins to turn over your mental to-do lists. Do you ever wish the preacher was more fill in your own 00:01:14.060 --> 00:01:22.900 blank? Do you ever find that you forget what was spoken about even before you've got out of the 00:01:22.900 --> 00:01:33.640 door? I imagine I am not alone in being able to recognize all of those in myself. I don't get to 00:01:33.640 --> 00:01:41.140 fall asleep as often as I used to, because I'm up here, but I'm sure we all probably struggle sometimes. 00:01:41.140 --> 00:01:47.200 Why does it happen? There's probably many reasons. Sometimes it's because of our circumstances. 00:01:48.040 --> 00:01:53.840 Busy weeks, busy lives, we come tired. Maybe this is the one time we sit down, we've got nice comfy 00:01:53.840 --> 00:02:03.240 seats now. It could be a challenge. Perhaps it's because we're not used to simply sitting and listening 00:02:03.240 --> 00:02:10.740 for an extended period of time. It doesn't feel like anything else that we typically find ourselves 00:02:10.740 --> 00:02:18.659 doing. It seems very ordinary. Faith comes by hearing. By God's design, preaching matters, 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:26.939 but it can be hard work to listen, regardless of who is doing the preaching. 00:02:28.379 --> 00:02:36.320 I want to suggest one more reason why perhaps sometimes we struggle with sermons and preaching. 00:02:36.319 --> 00:02:44.500 I think it's because sometimes we can easily forget what's happening, because it all seems so very 00:02:44.500 --> 00:02:52.159 ordinary at one level that we forget that actually what's taking place right now is extraordinary. 00:02:53.799 --> 00:03:01.680 And we need to think about that. The second Helvetic confession, sometime in the 16th century, 00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:08.719 has this statement, the preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God. 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:17.080 The preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God. So what's happening as we gather 00:03:17.080 --> 00:03:30.560 in this setting is that God is speaking, Jesus is speaking to His church through a preacher. 00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:42.300 The preacher. The preacher as instrument becomes a herald, the voice of the King, representing 00:03:42.300 --> 00:03:51.039 nothing less than the authority of Jesus. That in itself reminds us this is a big deal. 00:03:52.680 --> 00:03:58.020 It's like a really awe-inspiring thing for a preacher to recognize that as well. 00:03:58.020 --> 00:04:08.600 So as we begin thinking about these privileges that we have as a church, one of them is the privilege 00:04:08.600 --> 00:04:19.540 of preaching. Because by God's design, He would speak to us in a particular way as His Word is 00:04:19.540 --> 00:04:26.920 proclaimed. And to help us to think through this, we're going to follow the progress of the church 00:04:26.920 --> 00:04:36.879 in Antioch. And we're going to see God's Word at work in this young church. And then hopefully, 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:42.560 as we've laid the groundwork and we come to appreciate together, okay, preaching matters. 00:04:42.980 --> 00:04:47.939 Maybe we remind ourselves preaching matters. We'll think about some practical suggestions for how we can 00:04:47.939 --> 00:04:55.879 then make the most of the privilege of God's Word of God's gospel being preached. That maybe we'll be able 00:04:55.879 --> 00:05:04.839 to focus and appreciate what's happening a little bit more. The first thing that I want us to recognize, 00:05:05.220 --> 00:05:11.879 and we see it here in Antioch, is that the Word, God's Word, creates the church. 00:05:11.879 --> 00:05:19.860 Okay, so we visit Antioch in our minds for a few moments. It's a really interesting city 00:05:19.860 --> 00:05:25.279 back in the first century. In some senses, quite similar to Edinburgh, a similar population, 00:05:25.399 --> 00:05:31.699 about 500,000. Obviously, it was a very different setting. It's kind of central western Turkey, 00:05:32.420 --> 00:05:39.139 a really important city, the third big city in the Roman Empire. And it was known for being really 00:05:39.139 --> 00:05:44.759 diverse because it was a popular trading spot. So, there was large Jewish population there, 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:52.459 but also a very large Indian population. There was a large settlement from Persia, even folks from 00:05:52.459 --> 00:05:58.339 China. There were all these trade routes, and then people began to settle in Antioch. So, it was really 00:05:58.339 --> 00:06:08.979 diverse. And what we read about in verses 19 and 20 is of the gospel coming to this city, 00:06:09.139 --> 00:06:15.159 called Antioch, in Turkey, and we see the spread of the gospel. We see it geographically, don't we? 00:06:15.779 --> 00:06:25.259 Because it's moving from Phoenicia, from Cyprus to Antioch. But we also see it spreading culturally. 00:06:26.620 --> 00:06:33.079 Because here are some, and this is interesting as well, here are some unnamed evangelists 00:06:33.079 --> 00:06:39.079 who break through the great barrier of the first century, that Jew-Gentile divide, 00:06:39.079 --> 00:06:49.339 to share the good news with those from a Greek background, declaring the good news about the Lord 00:06:49.339 --> 00:06:59.620 Jesus. And the result is here. At first, we discover in verse 21, the Lord's hand was with them. 00:06:59.620 --> 00:07:08.840 What that's telling us is that God worked through His messengers. God's Word is working, 00:07:09.300 --> 00:07:17.220 but working as His people are speaking God's Word. He's working through the Word of the gospel as it's 00:07:17.220 --> 00:07:25.519 declared. And the other result that we discover is a great number of people believed and turned to 00:07:25.519 --> 00:07:32.139 the Lord. There's the gift of faith and repentance. They're believing, they're turning, probably turning 00:07:32.139 --> 00:07:42.319 away from idols to the true and the living God. And the church in Antioch is created as God's Word 00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:53.659 is proclaimed. This is what God does by His Spirit. He uses His Word to build His church. That's always 00:07:53.660 --> 00:08:04.060 the primary way the primary way the Holy Spirit works. As God's people either preach or share the good news of 00:08:04.060 --> 00:08:10.840 who Jesus is and what He's come to do, the Spirit takes that Word, applies it to hearts, brings new birth, 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:18.860 and there are believers for Him. And we see the really dramatic impact in a city like Antioch, 00:08:18.860 --> 00:08:29.020 very different culture from the Jewish culture, many gods, many temples, many idols, but they're turning to 00:08:29.020 --> 00:08:34.919 the true and the living God. God's Word is being proclaimed. The Spirit is working in power. Jesus is 00:08:34.919 --> 00:08:40.100 speaking through His people. Sinners are being saved, and God is being glorified. 00:08:40.100 --> 00:08:52.879 Preaching and proclaiming is no small thing. We're being reminded God chooses to do His work through His Word 00:08:52.879 --> 00:09:03.980 as it is preached. Sometimes God works to speak judgment, sometimes to justify, sometimes to convert, 00:09:04.120 --> 00:09:10.000 sometimes to conform and to make people more like Jesus. But He's always working as His Word is being 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:20.639 preached. We can see so clearly that God is powerfully present as the gospel is proclaimed, 00:09:21.399 --> 00:09:27.120 and that word of the gospel which is about Jesus creates the church. 00:09:30.120 --> 00:09:37.500 Think for a moment about what they proclaimed. Look at verse 20 again. 00:09:37.500 --> 00:09:46.899 They were telling the good news about the Lord Jesus, that Jesus is Lord. I like to imagine them this week. 00:09:47.179 --> 00:09:53.580 I'm sort of thinking about these believers. They've come out of a situation where they've seen Stephen 00:09:53.580 --> 00:09:58.820 being martyred, and the church has been scattered, and they come to this new city. I like to imagine them 00:09:58.820 --> 00:10:02.779 sort of walking around the streets, and they're watching, and they're learning, and they're speaking. 00:10:02.779 --> 00:10:12.559 Perhaps using the idea of, you know, this good news phrase, good news, that was familiar to Roman citizens. 00:10:13.159 --> 00:10:18.039 When an emperor won a great battle, and there was many battles in the first century, 00:10:18.699 --> 00:10:26.299 this proclamation of good news would spread. Your emperor has won a victory. Or if one of the Caesars 00:10:26.299 --> 00:10:32.000 had a son, the proclamation of good news would spread around the empire, there's a successor on the throne. 00:10:32.079 --> 00:10:39.459 Well, you imagine these Christians taking this idea, oh, I heard the emperor had good news. 00:10:40.439 --> 00:10:49.919 Can I share with you even better news, the good news of King Jesus? His victory over darkness and evil 00:10:49.919 --> 00:10:57.839 by way of the cross and the empty tomb. Can I speak to you of a king who brings forgiveness and peace? 00:10:58.779 --> 00:11:06.959 To speak of the coming of God's Son as truly good news for everyone who would trust in him. 00:11:08.899 --> 00:11:17.399 You imagine these Christians walking around a pagan city. See those sacrifices that you are making to 00:11:17.399 --> 00:11:24.740 try and earn the favor of the gods. Let me tell you about the sacrifice that Jesus, the Son of God, 00:11:24.939 --> 00:11:31.539 made so that you could enjoy God's favor. You don't need to earn it. You need to freely receive it by 00:11:31.539 --> 00:11:38.259 trusting in him. And when you do, you can know God's love and favor in your life. 00:11:39.860 --> 00:11:46.939 Imagine them walking around, walking past temple after temple, after pagan shrine and pagan shrine. 00:11:46.940 --> 00:11:54.200 I see your places of worship. Do you know that Jesus, when he walked this earth, he said that he 00:11:54.200 --> 00:11:59.480 was the true temple. If you want to meet God, you don't need to come here. You need to know Jesus. 00:12:00.580 --> 00:12:05.600 And he didn't just come to be the temple. He also came as the great high priest. 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:15.780 And that in his death, the way of access to God is now open. The price has been paid. The no entry sign 00:12:15.779 --> 00:12:25.620 has been torn down. Or to recognize just how courageous their faith was. 00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:34.399 As they spoke to people in Antioch, you say, Caesar is your Lord. Let me introduce you to Jesus, 00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:45.699 the true Lord, the true King, the Son of God. Imagine the courage and boldness. As they bore testimony 00:12:45.699 --> 00:12:52.759 to Jesus' wonderful life, as they spoke of his teaching and his miracles. As they could point out 00:12:52.759 --> 00:12:58.500 the difference between King Jesus and the Caesars. If you've ever read anything in history about the 00:12:58.500 --> 00:13:05.679 Caesars, you know that they held on to power and they would be ruthless with anyone that opposed them. 00:13:05.799 --> 00:13:12.360 And it was all about them having a stranglehold and amassing great things for themselves. Jesus is not 00:13:12.360 --> 00:13:22.899 like that. Jesus left the throne of heaven. Jesus sacrificed himself for his people. This is a king 00:13:22.899 --> 00:13:31.860 unlike any other. Not least because he rose again. And he is Lord and he is king forever. 00:13:33.500 --> 00:13:39.240 It's really interesting to read church history, the first centuries of the Christian missionary 00:13:39.240 --> 00:13:47.639 movement. You have men, you have women sharing their faith wherever they went. Washing clothes together, 00:13:47.639 --> 00:13:56.779 buying in the market. Can I tell you about Jesus? He's really good news. The Word of God as it is 00:13:56.779 --> 00:14:07.340 proclaimed, as it is preached, creates the church. We see the principle here in Antioch. We see it all 00:14:07.340 --> 00:14:17.399 over the book of Acts. And the same is true today. It's interesting that Luke doesn't record 00:14:17.399 --> 00:14:25.459 the names of the names of the folks who first crossed that barrier and shared the gospel with those from a 00:14:25.459 --> 00:14:34.299 Greek culture. Perhaps it's to remind us that the point isn't the person speaking. The point is that God 00:14:34.299 --> 00:14:43.860 speaks through his people. It's our God who is special. Our God who is love, who invites us to experience 00:14:43.860 --> 00:14:52.840 the love of Father, Son, and Spirit as his Word is proclaimed. It's our Savior Jesus who's special. 00:14:52.980 --> 00:14:59.259 He is God's gift of love to us and he comes to meet with us in his Word. 00:15:01.659 --> 00:15:06.039 The Word of God is what creates the church. Before we leave that point, 00:15:06.039 --> 00:15:13.179 wouldn't that be a great theme for our prayers? A great theme for our engine room prayers, to remember, 00:15:14.019 --> 00:15:24.139 to pray that God's Word would be at work, creating new believers here in Becloot, down in Galashios, 00:15:25.419 --> 00:15:32.059 as Hope Church Leith begins soon enough. We think about the church in Scotland. We think about the church 00:15:32.059 --> 00:15:38.859 in the places that we come from, to ask that God would continue to work through his Word 00:15:38.859 --> 00:15:45.459 to make believers of men and women and boys and girls. So, the Word of God creates the church. 00:15:45.919 --> 00:15:54.239 Second thing to notice here is that the Word of God is grace for the church. 00:15:54.240 --> 00:16:03.759 Now, I think it's fair to say that we live in an era where nothing seems quite so exciting 00:16:03.759 --> 00:16:11.899 as the presence of celebrity. You notice that any major occasion, if you watch on the television, 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:19.700 they're always looking to find, where's the celebrity in the crowd? We've even seen the excitement of 00:16:19.700 --> 00:16:25.160 the world of darts. I don't know who's been following, discovered this. Luke the Newt Littler, 00:16:25.740 --> 00:16:31.680 little 16-year-old made the darts final. There's celebrities and there's football clubs 00:16:31.680 --> 00:16:41.180 crowding to be associated with him. We love the idea of celebrity. Think about this, though. 00:16:41.179 --> 00:16:54.299 As we gather here, every time the church gathers, every time God's Word is preached, God himself is here. 00:16:55.839 --> 00:17:07.859 Jesus comes to speak to us, to minister grace to us. What would that do to our expectations 00:17:07.859 --> 00:17:17.899 as we come to church week by week? If we remembered, King Jesus wants to speak to me 00:17:17.899 --> 00:17:29.439 as his Word is proclaimed. The next stage in the church's life in Antioch, we find in verses 22 00:17:29.439 --> 00:17:37.119 to 24. News of this, a number of people believing and turning to the Lord from a Greek background 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:44.159 reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. Wonderful choice. Sending 00:17:44.159 --> 00:17:50.919 a delegation to see what's happening. Now, we meet Barnabas, the son of encouragement. How does 00:17:50.919 --> 00:17:56.899 Barnabas feel? As he sees what's going on, what did he find? When he arrived and saw what the grace of 00:17:56.899 --> 00:18:04.759 God had done, he was glad. That's what he finds. He finds that God's grace has been powerfully at work. 00:18:04.759 --> 00:18:14.299 Lives have been transformed. New believers have been made. An international church has been established. 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:23.039 And how did he feel about it? He was glad. He gave him joy as he recognized God is pleased to bless 00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:29.799 the nations through the preaching of his Word. What did he do? He encouraged them all to remain 00:18:29.799 --> 00:18:37.599 true to the Lord with all their hearts. Keep persevering. Keep going in your loyalty to Jesus as 00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:45.059 Lord, perhaps recognizing that things would be hard for them. We thought this morning about counting the 00:18:45.059 --> 00:18:55.899 cost as a follower of Jesus. Certainly hard in the first century. But grace continues to be poured out. 00:18:55.900 --> 00:19:03.920 We discover by the end of verse 24, a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Were they brought 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:13.420 by Barnabas? In a sense, yes. But ultimately, no. It's the Lord who brings his people to himself. 00:19:14.040 --> 00:19:22.120 It is the Lord who is adding to his church as the word of the gospel is proclaimed. And all of that 00:19:22.119 --> 00:19:37.619 is grace. Michael Horton, a systematic theologian, says it this way, through his Word, God is truly present 00:19:37.619 --> 00:19:49.059 in the world. And isn't that what we're seeing here? The Word about Jesus is being spoken. Grace of God 00:19:49.059 --> 00:19:56.539 God is being extended and people are being changed. And it's a pattern that's highlighted by Luke as he 00:19:56.539 --> 00:20:04.480 records the early days and months of the church in the first century. So, if you have a Bible, 00:20:04.919 --> 00:20:16.519 just to see this pattern, Acts chapter 4, verse 4. This is what happens after Peter is healed, 00:20:16.519 --> 00:20:23.599 a beggar. He's used that as an opportunity to give glory to Jesus, announcing him as the promised 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:32.000 Messiah. Chapter 4, verse 4. Many who heard the message believed. So, the number of men who believed 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:43.980 grew to about 5,000. Chapter 6 and verse 7. As the early church, recognizing the struggle to make sure 00:20:43.980 --> 00:20:49.259 that widows were being looked after, that widows were being looked after as they established deacons, 00:20:49.319 --> 00:20:55.420 so that the apostles can commit themselves to the ministry of prayer and the ministry of the Word. 00:20:55.779 --> 00:21:06.000 Chapter 6, verse 7. So, the Word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly. 00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:16.380 Chapter 10, verse 4. Chapter 10, verse 44. Peter is brought to the home of Cornelius, a Gentile, 00:21:17.220 --> 00:21:27.519 and he begins to preach the gospel. Chapter 10, verse 44. While Peter was still speaking these words, 00:21:27.519 --> 00:21:39.740 the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. Chapter 12 and verse 24. You have this really 00:21:39.740 --> 00:21:48.180 deliberate putting together of this chap, Herod, failing to give glory to God, and he dies in verse 23. 00:21:48.180 --> 00:21:56.519 And chapter 12, verse 24. But the Word of God continued to spread and flourish. 00:21:57.519 --> 00:22:09.160 It's absolutely clear. So, we see that God's Word preached is a means of God's grace coming to us. 00:22:10.359 --> 00:22:14.660 And it's important for us to understand, not only do we have the privilege of hearing God's truth, 00:22:14.700 --> 00:22:22.519 which is a wonderful thing, not only do we hear the Word of the gospel, which is a life-giving thing, 00:22:22.519 --> 00:22:36.240 but we enjoy in a real way communion with Christ Jesus as His Word is proclaimed. He comes to speak to us, 00:22:36.240 --> 00:22:46.660 to speak to us with saving power. He comes to speak to capture our hearts, to remind us that He is better. 00:22:46.660 --> 00:23:00.380 He comes to feed and satisfy our hungry souls. And so, we pray, speak, O Lord, as we come to You. 00:23:00.380 --> 00:23:08.320 that just as Jesus, when He was being tempted, said, man doesn't live on bread alone, but by every word 00:23:08.320 --> 00:23:16.240 that comes from the mouth of God, we want to live by this bread to be fed and to be satisfied. 00:23:17.900 --> 00:23:26.460 The Word is grace for the church. One more thing to notice is that the Word grows and matures the 00:23:26.460 --> 00:23:33.480 church, as they are in verse 25 and 26. So, another thing that Antioch was known for, 00:23:35.079 --> 00:23:39.759 maybe this is where you can think about this, maybe it's a bit more like Glasgow than Edinburgh, 00:23:39.900 --> 00:23:46.120 Antioch was known for its wit, it liked its jokes and its comedy. And one of the things that Antioch 00:23:46.120 --> 00:23:53.880 liked to do was to give nicknames. So, they would speak about the, I can't remember, we're never going 00:23:53.880 --> 00:24:00.640 to be able to say it now. The Herodianoi, Herod's people. They got a nickname. The Chaisorianoi, 00:24:00.900 --> 00:24:08.780 Caesar's people. And now, they're speaking about the Christianoi, Christ's people. 00:24:10.460 --> 00:24:15.540 Believers become known in Antioch as Christ's people. And doesn't that tell us something really 00:24:15.539 --> 00:24:23.759 special about how God is working through His Word in their lives? There is clearly something about 00:24:23.759 --> 00:24:34.599 these new believers that they can't stop speaking about Jesus. And they're determined to live for 00:24:34.599 --> 00:24:44.759 Jesus. And the city is taking notice. How did they get like that? Well, look at the next stage of what 00:24:44.759 --> 00:24:49.519 happens. Barnabas is wonderful, son of encouragement. He's so humble. Verse 25, 00:24:49.599 --> 00:24:55.579 then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul. He's not going to make it all about himself. 00:24:56.299 --> 00:25:02.519 He wants Saul to come. And when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So, for a whole year, 00:25:03.500 --> 00:25:07.500 Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. 00:25:07.500 --> 00:25:16.500 The disciples were called Christians, first at Antioch. So, Barnabas and Saul engage in this year-long 00:25:16.500 --> 00:25:27.059 teaching ministry all about Christ. And the result, they become known as Christ's people. 00:25:27.880 --> 00:25:37.339 They're growing in faith and maturity as they're being taught God's Word, as they're digging into 00:25:37.339 --> 00:25:42.879 God's Word. They're being made more like Jesus through the Word. 00:25:46.199 --> 00:25:50.279 I like the way Lewis Allen captures it. He says this, 00:25:50.879 --> 00:25:58.019 The Christian life begins in hearing the Word of God, in the power of the Spirit, 00:25:58.019 --> 00:26:06.959 and responding to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith. Christian maturity is an ongoing, 00:26:06.960 --> 00:26:15.600 ongoing experience of the same. The Word is vital to coming to salvation. The Word is vital to growing 00:26:15.600 --> 00:26:25.500 up in our salvation. As we see Christ in His Word, and we worship Him, gladly giving our hearts to His 00:26:25.500 --> 00:26:33.440 Lordship. So, as the Word is preached, the Spirit is doing His work. That lifelong process of shaping us 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:41.440 to be more like Jesus, to be more like Jesus, so that we might be Christ's people in our homes, 00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:51.680 in our families, in our jobs, in our schools and universities, in our day-to-day interactions. 00:26:51.680 --> 00:27:02.400 The Word grows and matures the church. Let's change gears for a moment. 00:27:04.160 --> 00:27:12.580 Since this is true, that God's Word creates the church, it's grace to us, and it causes growth, 00:27:12.579 --> 00:27:21.339 how can we make the most of preaching? Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, 00:27:21.419 --> 00:27:27.460 the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, 00:27:28.359 --> 00:27:34.980 it's the power of God. Christ crucified is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 00:27:34.980 --> 00:27:45.500 power and wisdom in the message of the gospel. As we understand that as the Word is preached, 00:27:45.900 --> 00:27:57.079 Jesus is proclaimed and Jesus preaches. The gospel is proclaimed and God works in the gospel to 00:27:57.079 --> 00:28:04.039 powerfully save and shape us because God Himself is present. That's our privilege. 00:28:04.980 --> 00:28:11.220 As we gather to hear God's Word read and preached week by week, Sunday by Sunday. 00:28:12.839 --> 00:28:21.400 We'll finish with four Ps to help us perhaps to make the most of it. How can we make the most of 00:28:21.400 --> 00:28:31.279 preaching? I think we need to begin with prayer. It's really important that God's people are praying 00:28:31.279 --> 00:28:39.720 for those who preach. Because as we recognize what a huge deal it is, it's really important 00:28:39.720 --> 00:28:48.220 that we pray for whoever is preaching. That they would have the appropriate time in God's Word and 00:28:48.220 --> 00:28:55.039 understanding of it and the ability to communicate as God would want them to as best as we can. 00:28:55.039 --> 00:29:01.759 It's really important to pray for our own hearts. To be on guard against sin that would create a 00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:07.319 barrier so we don't hear, we don't want to hear the gospel preached. To pray that we'd have hearts that 00:29:07.319 --> 00:29:17.379 are ready to receive. That we'd be praying before we come to church and also to pray after. 00:29:17.380 --> 00:29:25.980 So that the Word wouldn't just disappear. Perhaps we'd pray it through as God would bring it to our 00:29:25.980 --> 00:29:34.960 minds. So we pray. The second P is that we pay attention. And this is hard. Of course it's hard. 00:29:35.260 --> 00:29:42.540 Sometimes it's almost impossible. But as much as is possible, as we recognize the privilege of hearing 00:29:42.539 --> 00:29:52.460 Jesus speak to us, we want to pay attention to what is being said. What does active listening look like? 00:29:53.359 --> 00:29:59.500 It varies from person to person, doesn't it? For some of us, we find taking notes is a really helpful 00:29:59.500 --> 00:30:07.279 way to pay attention to then to be able to go back and recall and read over. Perhaps it's helpful for 00:30:07.279 --> 00:30:14.000 some to jot down particular points of application or something that particularly strikes us. Yeah, 00:30:14.039 --> 00:30:20.079 I need to think more about that. I think it can be really helpful for our attention to have 00:30:20.079 --> 00:30:26.799 our Bibles open, to be looking up those other references. It's all part of being engaged. 00:30:28.299 --> 00:30:34.619 I saw somebody's advice this week and I liked it. It said, resolve to be a yes face. 00:30:34.619 --> 00:30:43.059 So one of the things I have here is that I get to see everybody. And we all have different faces 00:30:43.059 --> 00:30:48.819 for how we receive God's Word. But I like that idea of being a yes face. I'll leave you to figure out 00:30:48.819 --> 00:30:56.759 what that lady was intending when she said, resolve to be a yes face. But it's good to be engaged, 00:30:56.859 --> 00:31:03.259 isn't it? Because we know that God is speaking. If we're going to make the most of God's Word, 00:31:03.259 --> 00:31:12.079 it's important that we give time to ponder, to meditate on it, to talk about it with others, 00:31:13.379 --> 00:31:19.960 over the dinner table, in conversation. Maybe one of the advantages of taking notes is that you can 00:31:19.960 --> 00:31:27.980 then return to the text, return to those thoughts, to think about how we can encourage others with 00:31:27.980 --> 00:31:36.660 what's been read and preached. And of course, if we're to make the most of preaching, we want to look 00:31:36.660 --> 00:31:45.180 to see how can I put it into practice, to allow God's Word to be that mirror that exposes and shows us 00:31:45.180 --> 00:31:55.839 where God would have us to change in response to His Word, to think about the main points of a text, 00:31:55.839 --> 00:32:01.939 and to think about how it applies to our lives so that we'd be hearers and doers. 00:32:05.059 --> 00:32:11.480 Because we have a wonderful privilege of hearing God speak to us in His Word, 00:32:12.199 --> 00:32:19.740 of hearing the Lord Jesus in the Word of the Gospel. So let's pray that this year we would enjoy it, 00:32:19.740 --> 00:32:25.500 our church would enjoy it, those not yet part of our church would come to share that privilege with us. 00:32:25.839 --> 00:32:27.919 Let's pray together.