Spirit Filled Listening

Matthew 13:14-15, “And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”

Galatians 3:2, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

Hebrews 5:11, “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.”

All my life I have heard preachers in their sermons talk about Spirit-filled preaching, but I have never heard anyone mention Spirit-filled hearing. The emphasis has always been upon the preacher being filled with the Holy Spirit, and not upon the listeners in the audience being filled with the Holy Spirit. That is very interesting.

I attended a local revival meeting this week in Pensacola. The visiting evangelist is a good guy. I enjoyed meeting him. He went out of his way before each revival service to personally shake everybody's hand in the auditorium, which I admire. He came up and warmly greeted me before each service and shook my hand. I thought it was important that he did that, connecting with the audience. Bravo for him! I love friendly preachers.

Having said that, this Christian Brother's preaching was mediocre at best, dry. He definitely wouldn't have won a preaching contest! A young fella (I think he was an older teenager) had asked me after the service if I liked the preaching. I don't think it is ever ethical to criticize a preacher, so I said that I enjoyed the preaching. Even though I thought the preaching was mediocre at best, I wasn't lying, which is the point of this blog, as I will explain in a moment. I told the young man that I wish the 3-day revival would last for 7-days instead, and I really meant that. I love and need revivals! We all need Bible preaching!!!

The truth is that you can hear even the worst sermon ever, and yet you will still feel convicted by the indwelling Holy Spirit and go home edified if you are filled with the Holy Spirit. I never hear a sermon that God doesn't use to speak to my heart. The reason why is because I am a Spirit-filled listener. I am not talking about being saved (i.e., indwelt by the Holy Spirit). I am talking about choosing to Walk in the Spirit. Once you get saved, you are indwelt and sealed with the gift of God's Holy Spirit instantly and forever (Romans 8:9; 1st Corinthians 3:16-17; Ephesians 1:13-14; 1st John 3:23). Galatians 5:25, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” That is, if you are saved, walk in the Holy Spirit who lives in you. We walk in the Spirit by yielding to the Spirit's leading as we abide in God's written Word. The Holy Spirit NEVER leads any believer contrary to the Scriptures!

I heard a young Texas woman many years ago who had made the national news. She had auditioned nine times to become a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader for the football team, but she failed every audition. Thousands of women were applying. In an interview with a news reporter, the frustrated young woman said: “I know it is God's will for me to be a Dallas Cowboy's cheerleader, so I am praying for it to happen.” I knew immediately that she is a liar, and that it is not God's will for her to become a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader! How do I know that? I know because the Bible teaches in 1st Timothy 2:9-10, “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.” Take a look at a simple web search on Duck Duck Go for how the whorish Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders dress!!! They are wicked women without biblical high moral standards. I can tell you without hesitation that it is NEVER God's will for any Christian woman to strip down nearly naked, and then sinfully gyrate like a slut in public in front of millions of lustful people to gaze upon. SHAME on that young woman for laying such wickedness at the Lord's door.

How do you become a Spirit-filled listener? It is very simple. Just ask God to speak to your heart as you listen to the sermon. If you seek God's presence you will find it. God promises in James 4:8, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” You can take this promise to the bank dear friend. God's inspired Word is trustworthy!

Also, the Bible doesn't promise that God will only draw nigh to some believers, but to all who draw near unto Him. Of course, if you have never been born again by faith alone in Jesus Christ, then you are an outsider and not one of Christ's sheep. You have no right to anything from God, except to know that God's wrath is upon you (John 3:36; Psalms 7:11). But if you are a born again saint, then Hebrews 4:14-16 encourages you to “boldly” approach God's throne to obtain mercy to find grace to help in time of need. No child of God, even despite the sins which you allow in your life, should ever feel reluctant to come before your heavenly Father's throne. No child of God is “worthy” to come before God's throne of their own accord or merit, but only by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (Revelation 5:9).

If you listen to a sermon with a tender, submissive and broken heart toward God, desiring to learn the truth, the Holy Spirit will speak to your soul. Likewise, if the sermon contains false doctrine and unbiblical ideas, the Holy Spirit will also convict you that something is wrong. I don't care if a preacher is Spirit-filled or not, if you are Spirit-filled you will receive a blessing. So when the young man asked me if I liked the preaching, I truly did, even though I knew that I had heard much better preaching elsewhere. 

The Bible warns that it is unwise to compare ourselves among ourselves. The reason why is obvious, because God has given to each of us different resources, personalities, talents, opportunities, parents, blessings, friends, abilities and gifts. 2nd Corinthians 10:12, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” So with this in mind I do not compare preachers, because God has dealt differently with every man. Who am I to sit in judgment upon any preacher? I am just a humble wretched sinner saved by God's wondrous grace.

Now, having said that, I do judge and preach against false prophets, which Christian men are exhorted to do (Titus 1:9-14; Jude 1:3). I pay attention when I listen to a sermon. I am blessed to have been saved already for 43 years. So I have learned a thing or two along the way in life. I know good preaching when I hear it. But f I don't particularly care for a sermon, I do not haughtily look down with a critical spirit upon dry, cold or less fervent preachers. I LOVE BIBLE PREACHERS!!! I LOVE BIBLE PREACHING!!!

Having said that, I will speak up and express my humble disagreement with a preacher if I disagree with something that he said. Albeit, as a general rule I always show respect for the pulpit. If I visit another church it is not my place to critique the pastor or guest preachers. So I try to be ethical and keep my mouth shut. I think we should be quick to speak praise, but very slow and reluctant to be negative. Attitudes are contagious, whether good or bad. I desire and strive to generate a positive attitude of reinforcement at church, especially in the eyes of the young people, toward the church pulpit. I am a Baptist preacher, but that doesn't give me the right to try to change a church from the bottom up by criticizing the church's leadership.

I wrote this blog to teach everyone the importance of being a Spirit-filled listener. Even if the sermon is dry, lacking in substance, and the preacher is boring and devoid of zeal, you can still be blessed by God and take home a blessing if you apply what truths you hear to your life.

I greatly enjoy just being in the presence of other Christian brethren and sisters in Christ. They are my spiritual family in the Lord, and I love them all. My goal is not to be loved in return, because I do not set myself up to be discouraged and disappointed if they don't. My goal is to love everyone unconditionally with God's love, and it doesn't matter how they respond. 2nd Corinthians 12:15, “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.”

I also want to mention something fascinating that I've never heard any preacher teach. I don't claim to be smarter or have any special insight into the Scriptures. We all have the same free grace salvation, the same Holy Spirit, the same inspired King James Bible, et cetera. One day I realized in Acts chapter two, on the Day of Pentecost, that no one present spoke in tongues. The Bible says that the Apostle Peter preached in his own native tongue (Greek), but the thousands of Jews present from at least 16 different countries mentioned, all HEARD every man in their own language. Acts 2:6, “Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.” There was no miracle of Speaking in Tongues on the Day of Pentecost, but there was a miracle of Hearing in Tongues. Amen!

Dear reader, may we all be Spirit-filled listeners when we hear Bible preaching. Pray and ask God's Holy Spirit to prepare and tender your heart, to be sensitive to the leading of the blessed Holy Spirit in accordance with the precious eternal Word of God.