How Then Shall We Listen? Our Catechism's Tips on Listening to Sermons -- Part II
We are learning what it means to listen to preaching from the Westminster Shorter Catechism Question and Answer 90. Last week we considered what it means to come to the preaching of God’s Word with diligence, preparation, and prayer. The catechism has much more to say. Today, consider with me what it means for us to “receive [the preaching of God’s Word] with faith and love.”
To receive God’s Word in faith is the starting place for every Christian. The old man is put to death and the new man is brought to life the moment we hear the Word of Christ and respond in faith and repentance. “For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened” (Hebrews 4:2). But this faithful reception of God’s proclaimed Word is not a one-time event. It should define how we listen to the Word every time it is truly preached. To receive God’s Word in faith means to believe that it is trustworthy and true. There will be parts of the Scriptures that are hard to grapple with, hard to accept, hard to believe. There will be times the preacher gets up and says things that offend us or seem too difficult (side note: obviously we preachers do that a lot for foolish reasons, but in this scenario assume the offense comes not from the fault of the preacher but from the way God’s Word confronts our sin). To receive God’s Word in faith is to recognize that even those things we don’t immediately understand or agree with are from God and therefore they must be good. Benefit from the Word by recognizing it is a blessing.
If we receive preaching in faith like this it will be impossible not to also receive it in love. We will be in love with the message that we hear: the message that a holy God saves sinners. We will love the God who not only offers this salvation, but also publishes it abroad and has it proclaimed to the whole world so that we can hear and believe. The famous words of the prophet about preaching are words of love: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news.” A distinguishing mark between the church and the world is that those who belong to the church love the Word. They love the truth of the Word, and they love to hear that truth proclaimed (2 Thess. 2:10). Let us show that we belong to the church by cultivating a love, appreciation, and desire for the preaching of God’s Gospel.