A Study of the Book of Acts
Sermon # 21
Are You Really Listening
Acts 10:24-48
You have the right to expect that your church’s pulpit be filled by prepared men preaching prepared sermons. You have the right to expect preachers who have prepared themselves spiritually and have also spent many hours preparing their sermon. You have the right to expect preachers to pour themselves out in preaching the Word of God to you. But what does the one who is speaking have a right to expect from their listeners?
Charles Spurgeon, the great 19th century preacher, said that the hearer needed to prepare even more than the preacher! “We are told men ought not to preach without preparation. Granted! But we add, men ought not to hear without preparation. Which, do you think needs the most preparation, the sower or the ground? I would have the sower come with clean hands, but I would have the ground well-plowed and harrowed, well-turned over, and the clods broken before the seed comes in. It seems to me that there is more preparation needed by the ground than by the sower, more by the hearer than the preacher.”
As one who speaks regularly I can attest that some-times I feel that I am not getting through when I speak, only to find out later that I did. But it is also true that sometimes I think I am connecting, only to find out later that I did not. But generally speaking I believe that it is true to say that those who receive the most are those who come prepared to respond to the message.
You will remember that in our last study of the Book of Acts we left Peter as he left Joppa headed to Caesarea and the house of Cornelius. At Caesarea they met Cornelius and those whom he had gathered to hear Peter’s message. It would be wonderful if every preacher, when he stood up to preach, should find the reception that Peter found gathered in the house of Cornelius.
“And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. (25) As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. (26) But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.” (27) And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together. (28) Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. (29) Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?”
Cornelius had been prepared by God, and Peter had been prepared by God. But they were not the only ones who had been prepared. In verse thirty-three after rehearsing for Peter the circumstances that led to his request (vv. 30-32) he says, “So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.”
Cornelius had prepared his whole household, and now they were anxiously waiting to hear from Peter. God had prepared Cornelius, the preacher and Peter and the audience. When you go to church, don’t you want to receive a good message? If so, the best way is to come with a prepared heart.!
First, The Preparation Of Peter.
Peter has received a vision from the Lord that has opened his eyes about his prejudicial view concerning the Gentiles (10:9-16). It was God who opened his eyes that he should not deem anyone as beyond reach by the Gospel (10:28). God gave new truth to Peter and then gave him an opportunity to act on what he had learned. Just as his vision is over the couriers arrive from Cornelius requesting him to come to Caesarea (10:17-22).
I believe that it is often the case that the Lord shows us some new truth and then gives us an opportunity to act on what we have learned. This new truth in our lives may have come in personal bible study, or a class or a sermon, but when God has challenged our hearts, He often provides situations or circumstances that call upon us to put those principles into practice.
Peter had learned the lesson well and he responds to the welcome into Cornelius’ house by saying, “God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” (v. 28).
Second, The Proclamation Of Peter. (10:34-43)
“Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. (35) But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. (36) The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— (37) that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached.”
It is exciting to see how Peter packed so much into a short message. We sometimes confuse length with effectiveness. This was certainly not true for the apostle under the direction of the Holy Spirit he was both insightful and succinct. He covers all the necessary ground; who Jesus is, and what Jesus did. With that in mind I want to just point out three things that Cornelius says about Jesus.
• Peter presented Jesus as the Peace of God.
(v. 36) “The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—“
In his letter to the Romans Paul writes, “There-
fore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Romans 5:1).
And his letter to the Ephesians he wrote, “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,” (Ephesians 2:14).
• Peter presented Jesus as the Power of God.
(v. 36) “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil,”
As believers we need more than just peace with God we need the power to live out the Christian life. That power is available through Jesus Christ.
• Peter presented Jesus as the Presence of God. (v. 38) “… for God was with Him.”
Jesus was more than just a messenger from God. Jesus was more than the world’s greatest teacher. Jesus was more than the greatest prophet. He was God in human form.
• Peter presented Jesus as the Pardon of God. (v. 43) “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”
The greatest need that any of us has is the need to be forgiven and Peter presents Jesus as the means through which we can be pardoned from our past. He sensed Cornelius’ estrangement, so he presented Jesus as the peace of God. He discerned Cornelius’ feeling of inadequacy, so he presented Jesus as power of God. He felt Cornelius’ guilt, so he presented Jesus as the pardon of God.”[Brian L. Harbour. Living Expectantly. (Nashville: Broadman, 1990) p.92]
Peter presented Jesus in such a way that Cornelius knew that he met his every need and in the middle of the message Cornelius yielded himself to Christ. Verse forty-four says, “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. (45) And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. (46) For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, (47) “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” (48) And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.”
Third, Principles Of Participatory Listening.
It must have been exciting and a distinct pleasure to preach to an audience as prepared as those who had assembled in the house of Cornelius. However, some feel that listening to a sermon is something that is done to me or inflicted on me rather than something they are expected to take part in.
Contrary to popular opinion, preaching is not a “spectator sport.” There needs to be recognition that some participation is expected by those receiving the preaching. It is an active rather than a passive event. In verse thirty-three we see a beautiful example of an active listener in the person of the Roman Centurion and his family: “So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.” (NIV)
After telling the Parable of the Sower, Jesus warned His Disciples (Luke 8:18) that they should, “take heed how you hear.” Jesus is pointing out there is a distinct difference between hearing and listening. Do you ever remember your mother saying to you, “You better listen to me!!!”? She knew that you were hearing but was not sure you were listening.
Too many people see preaching as one-way communication, and that its success or failure rests solely on the preacher. It may be alarming to realize that scripture had as much to say about the listener’s responsibility to hear, understand and implement the message as it does about the preacher’s obligation to preach.
Thabiti (thuh-BEE-tee) Anyawile (an-yahb-wee-lay) pastor of First Baptist Church of the Cayman Islands has written his definition of “expositional listening.” “Healthy church members are those who listen in a particular way to the word of God as it is preached and studied- they let God set the agenda by seeking always to hear the true meaning of the text so that they can apply it to their lives.” [Thabiti Anyabwile. What is A Healthy Church Member?” (Wheaton, ILL.: Crossway, 2008)
Little things are often more significant than we realize. One of those is that the way that we listen is indicative of our real interest in spiritual things. Today I want to share with you from the vantage point of the preacher how you can be an active listener.
There are four things that every Christian can bring to a worship service
• A Prepared Soul.
Communication studies show us that generally those audiences who come prepared to receive the message are the ones who get the most from the message. When you come to church do you what to hear a good message? Then the best way is to come with a prepared soul.
Read next Sunday’s Bible passage.
Pray for the message and the messenger.
Calm your spirit before coming into God’s house.
Work on your attitude.
Listeners with bad attitudes are poor listeners. It is your job to prepare yourself to receive the message from God. No one but you can prepare your heart. If you come with the expectation that you will receive nothing from the message, guess what? You will receive nothing from the message. It is a self-fulfilling prop-hecy.
• An Alert Mind.
Any farmer can tell you that when the seed is sown everything depends on the condition of the soil. So it is also true with the listener’s heart. I believe that it significant that the Jewish Sabbath started on the evening before. Many people drag their weary bodies into the service without adequate rest. They stay up late on Saturday night and then they fight to stay awake in the services. The obvious truth is that sleepy listeners are poor listeners. Pastor John Piper is insight-ful when he says, “It is a terrible thing to teach our children by example that worship is so optional that it doesn’t matter if we are exhausted when we come.”
[John Piper. “Take Care How You Listen! Part 2.” Luke 8:4-18 – www.desiringgod.org/sermons/take-care- how-you-listen-part-2)
As long as we have chosen to attend the service physically then we might as well attend mentally and that requires concentration. “Listeners think much faster than speakers can speak. It is nearly impossible to fill our minds with the speaker’s words, and the speaker’ s words only. The words may trigger other thoughts – related and unrelated to the intended meanings.” [Lori Carrell. “The Great American Sermon Survey. (Wheaton, ILL.: Mainstay Church Resources, 2000) p. 193]
Being attentive requires self-discipline. Our minds wonder when we worship; sometimes we day-dream. But we need to remember that listening to sermons is a part of the worship that we offer to God!
You need to feel involved in what is going on. Here are some ways to feel more involved.
Sit closer to the front.
Don’t be overly concerned with the clock. (Acts 20:7-12)
Be conscious of your body language. Posture indicates interest and attitude.
Listen sympathetically. (Ignore insignificant slip-ups)
Resist distractions.
There was a man in our church some years ago when we were in the old auditorium that would meet me at the door after the service and says something like, “Well you preached 28 minutes and 32 seconds and by the way there are 11,276 knot holes in this ceiling.” I doubt very seriously if he could have told me what the subject of the message was.
Avoid being a distraction.
Don’t leave the service once it is started unless it is an emergency.
• An Open Bible.
The third thing you can bring to worship is you Bible, I would encourage you to bring your Bible to every service. To stay involved- Look up the some passages, but not necessarily all of them. It only stands to reason that we profit most from sermons when our Bibles are open. Make notes, you will remember more. But don’t get so caught up in taking notes that engage only you mind and not your heart. Listen for personal application. As a man rose from the pew one Sunday after the message he remarked, “Well, the sermon is over.” To which another man replied, “No, now is when it begins!” That is the kind of hearing that pleases God. James tells us that we are to “be doers of the word and not hearers only.” (James 1:23-25).
• A Receptive Heart.
The last thing that we can do to be better listen-ers is to have a receptive heart and by that I mean that real listeners should be itching to put into practice what we learn from God’s word. Look again at verse thirty-three, “Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.” (NIV) Cornelius acknowledged that Peter had been sent by God to communicate certain truths to him and he would be held responsible by God for applying that truth in his life. There is always something to do I response to the preaching of God’s word!
The good news is that the experts tell us that listening improves with practice, so each sermon gives you another opportunity to practice.
Conclusion
Whenever the Gospel is preached, God is glorified. When God has prepared the messenger as well as those who are to hear him, then tremendous things can hap-pen as they did in Caesarea at the home of Cornelius.
But be aware that other things besides the Gospel can be shared in the place of Gospel, it may even prod-uce results. People may be pleased and say, “That was wonderful.” It might make you feel good about yourself! But if it is not the Gospel, it will not be blessed by God in the saving of souls and the changing of human lives. What God has always used to turn men and women from sin and to empower them to live victoriously is the good news of Christ, crucified, risen and coming again.
Are You Really Listening
Acts 10:24-48
First, The Preparation Of Peter.
Second, The Proclamation Of Peter. (10:34-43)
• Peter presented Jesus as the Peace of God. (v. 36)
(Romans 5:1, Ephesians 2:14)
• Peter presented Jesus as the Power of God. (v. 36)
• Peter presented Jesus as the Presence of God. (v. 38)
• Peter presented Jesus as the Pardon of God. (v. 43)
Third, Principles Of Participatory Listening.
Four things that every Christian can bring to a worship service
• A Prepared Soul.
Read next Sunday’s Bible passage.
Pray for the message and the messenger.
Calm your spirit before coming into God’s house.
Work on your attitude.
• An Alert Mind.
We need to remember that listening to sermons is a part of the worship that we offer to God!
•An Open Bible.
Bring your Bible to every service.
Look up the some passages.
Make notes.
Listen for personal application. (James 1:23-25).
• A Receptive Heart. (v. 33)
Some ways to feel more involved.
Sit closer to the front.
Don’t be overly concerned with time. (Acts 20:7-12)
Be conscious of your body language.
Listen sympathetically.
Resist distractions.
Avoid being a distraction.
Are You Really Listening
Acts 10:24-48
First, The _____________________________ Of Peter.
Second, The _________________________ Of Peter. (10:34-43)
•Peter presented Jesus as the ___________ of God. (v. 36)
(Romans 5:1, Ephesians 2:14)
•Peter presented Jesus as the __________ of God. (v. 36)
•Peter presented Jesus as the _______________ of God. (v. 38)
•Peter presented Jesus as the _________________ of God. (v. 43)
Third, Principles Of ___________________________ Listening.
Four things that every Christian can bring to a worship service
• A Prepared __________.
Read next Sunday’s Bible passage.
Pray for the message and the messenger.
Calm your spirit before coming into God’s house.
Work on your attitude.
• An Alert ______________.
We need to remember that listening to sermons is a part of the ____________ that we offer to God!
• An Open ______________.
Bring your Bible to every service.
Look up the some passages.
Make notes.
Listen for _____________ application. (James 1:23-25).
•A Receptive ________________. (v. 33)
Some ways to feel more involved.
Sit closer to the front.
Don’t be overly concerned with time. (Acts 20:7-12)
Be conscious of your body language.
Listen sympathetically.
Resist distractions.
Avoid being a distraction.
