Beloved,
Last Sunday morning, I had the experience of preaching to a room full of people suffering from severe sleep deprivation. Some of the winter camp participants had not gone to bed until 7:00 a.m. that morning, having snuck out of their cabins to engage in extended yo-mama joke contests! It was a fresh reminder of the importance of preparing physically, mentally, and spiritually for preaching. As we have seen in our exposition of Westminster Larger Catechism 160, we must strive to be prepared for preaching before we hear it.
But the divines do not merely instruct us on how to prepare for preaching; they also teach us how to listen to it as it reaches our ears: “It is required of those that hear the word preached, that they…examine what they hear by the Scriptures.”
The proof text referenced is Acts 17:11, where the Jews in Berea are contrasted with those in Thessalonica. What made them different? The manner in which they received Paul’s preaching: “They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” The Thessalonian Jews were critical of Paul’s preaching in the wrong way, standing in judgment over the Word. But the Berean Jews were critical in the right way. They tested Paul’s exposition and application of Scripture against the Scriptures themselves. If they were commended for doing this while listening to an inspired apostle, how much more so does God encourage you to do the same while listening to your non-inspired pastor?
God’s Word is infallible—I am not. While it is possible to have a wrong kind of critical spirit, turning your hearing into an exercise of auditory condemnation rather than exultation—where every word and action of the preacher is picked apart in self-exalting arrogance—it is vital to cultivate the right kind of critical disposition. This means not accepting what you hear based on the pastor’s authority alone but on the authority of God’s Word. As Johannes Vos writes, “No real minister of Christ will want his hearers to accept anything just because he says it is true; he will want them to accept the truth because God says it is true, and because they find that it is taught in God’s word.”
One of the great gifts of the Protestant Reformation was the recovery of the doctrine of perspicuity—a fancy word for clarity. The Roman Catholic Church claimed it was dangerous to give the common people the Bible in their own language, arguing that it would lead to heresy. Thus, the Bible was published and read only in Latin, which meant that most people in society could not understand it. This was a strategic move on Rome’s part. Without a Bible in their common tongue, the people had no way to test what their priests and bishops were telling them, making them easy to mislead. But the Reformers said, “No, the Bible is for the people. It must be translated into the common tongue so that all may read it and test the claims of the church for themselves. For God speaks clearly so that even a child, paying careful attention, can understand.”
I mentioned somewhat jokingly in Sunday school recently that encouraging you to read the Bible for yourself is dangerous—for me! A church full of whole-Bible Christians, devouring God’s Word in private and family worship, raises the bar for the preacher in public worship. But in reality, a biblically illiterate congregation is what is truly dangerous. I need the accountability of a congregation that knows the Word and holds me to it, and you need the security against false teaching that can come only from knowing the Word for yourself.
But being a Berean requires more than merely knowing your Bible. You must assemble with God’s people ready to engage with God’s Word. Too often, people approach public worship and the hearing of preaching passively. They’ve come to sit back and be edutained. But I am convinced that listening to preaching requires just as much active engagement as preaching itself! Bring your Bible. Stick your nose in the text. Trace its argument. Look up supporting passages. Ask questions of the sermon. Jot down questions for the preacher.
Do not come with a prideful spirit, but do come with a humble, discerning heart—ready to receive and submit to every word that aligns with God’s revelation in Scripture. For this is the path to blessedness.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Nick