Saturday, September 8, 2007
Luke 8:8 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
GETTING READY FOR CHURCH
Has this ever happened to you? . . . You're sitting in a church pew at your home congregation. The pastor is about to begin his sermon. You think to yourself, "I wonder what we'll hear about today?" You have every intention of following along and paying close attention. But something causes your mind to wander. Maybe it's some distraction nearby. Maybe you didn't get enough sleep the night before and you're feeling drowsy. Maybe something the pastor said sends your mind off on a tangent.
We all have had moments when we failed to listen to the message delivered on Sunday morning. It's certainly good to know that God, because of Christ, forgives those many failures in our past. It's also good to know that with His help we can improve in this very important area of our spiritual life.
It really beings with our attitude. From the first moment we enter the church sanctuary, we need to realize that we are in the Lord's house. We are there to honor Him with our praise and worship. We are there to receive the spiritual blessings of His Word. It helps to remind yourself again and again how much you need to hear that Word. You need to hear the Law that reveals your sin. You need to hear the Gospel that brings you forgiveness. You need it because your faith needs it. Our Christian faith is much like a plant that needs water. The water that nourishes our faith can truly be found in the message of the Gospel delivered in the sermon.
As you enter your church tomorrow and take your seat, think of the reason why you're there. You're there to worship and you're there to listen. The attitude of our minds will help tremendously in making us better listeners. May God gives us hearts ready to drink in all the necessary and good things He has to tell us.
God be with you as you listen to His Word tomorrow!
