But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22 HCSB
Many people probably went to church yesterday and heard good sermons. You might have even shaken hands with the preacher and complimented him on it. Many of us believe God blesses our church attendance and our taking time out of our busy lives to get up, get dressed, get to church, and sit on that pew and hear a good sermon. But as Warren Wiersbe points out, it’s not hearing the sermon that brings us blessings; it’s doing what God’s Word tells us to do.
The word hear is defined as “to perceive the sound made by someone or something.” The word listen is defined as “to give one’s attention to a sound.” Many times, I have sat in a church pew and heard a sermon, but did not listen. The first part of doing is listening. Hearing is passive; we can hear a noise but choose to ignore it. When we listen, we are paying attention, and perhaps responding to what we hear.
We need to understand that God blesses our obedience. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses is preparing the Israelites to cross over the Jordan into the Promised Land. He stresses the importance of being obedient. He tells them over and over that their obedience will lead to a long life in the land God is giving them. He tells them God will bless them for their obedience.
Hearing what God wants us to do is the first part of the equation. Actually listening, then doing what He commands, is what is important.
Church attendance is important because this is where we hear the word of God being taught. This is the first step. We must be prepared to listen to the sermon. And it’s most important that we leave and live out that sermon during the week.
James warns us not to deceive ourselves. If we go to church and hear God’s word and spend the week not doing God’s word, the only person we have fooled is ourselves. We have deceived ourselves into thinking that just because we go to church, that’s enough. But it’s not; we must live out God’s word while we live our lives in the world during the week.
Many people have recently begun reading the Bible throughout the year. I’ve done this a few times, and I usually hurriedly tried to get through the suggested passages to stay on track, but I wasn’t studying God’s word. I encourage you to use a good study Bible and actually study God’s word or participate in a good Bible study or Sunday School class. Understand what God is saying to you through His word and be sure to live out what God calls us to do. Obey His commands.
When we study God’s word, we get to really know Him. When we get to really know Him, our love for Him grows deeper. We trust Him more. It makes it much easier to surrender our lives to Him.
Hearing God’s word is a good start, but be sure to actually listen and do His word. Obey His commands. Be prepared to share His word with those who are lost.
God blesses those who obey Him, but don’t take my word for it. Give obedience a try and see for yourself.
Have a great day!