“I know he is a good pastor, but I don’t really understand his sermons.” Ever heard anyone say that about their pastor? Many people go to church regularly and yet complain that they don’t get much out of the preacher’s messages. Many times all they can do is struggle to stay awake and watch the clock to see how much time is left. Part of the problem is with some pastors who, frankly, are not skilled at preparing or delivering sermons. But more often than not the real reason some church goers don’t benefit is that they simply don’t know how to listen to a sermon.
Now you may be saying, “Aren’t you supposed to just sit quietly, listen to what is said, and try to make sense out of it?” That passive way to listen to a message is what most people do, but is it the best way? In this article, I want to suggest nine basic principles for actively listening to a sermon. That’s right, hearing is an action verb. It requires giving close attention to what is said, knowing what to listen for, and knowing how to respond.
Good listening actually starts before the sermon is preached.
1. The first aspect of listening involves simply finding out the title of the sermon. Most churches send out a newsletter or have a website. Usually you can find out the sermon title in advance at one of those places. If the church doesn’t have either one, then the Sunday morning bulletin will usually have the sermon title listed somewhere. If the church does not list the sermon on any of those sites, then shame on them. If a pastor expects his flock to listen well to what he has to say, then he should at least let them know what to expect. Also another helpful practice is for the church to print and distribute a listening guide of the message either in the bulletin or on a separate handout.
The title should have some tie-in to the main thrust of the message. It may be humorous or catchy, and that is alright if it grabs peoples’ interest. Nonetheless, it should not be totally irrelevant to the message or too general as to be meaningless. The best sermon titles are those that naturally lead into the main theme and points of the message. For instance, the sermon may be titled, “God’s Purposes for Christian Leaders,” based on Ephesians 4:11-13. Or it could be stated as a question, “Does God Have Purposes for Christian Leaders?” Or it could be stated humorously like, “How Many Christian Leaders Does It Take to Put in a Light Bulb?” The main theme statement might go like this, “God has important purposes for Christian leaders.” The points (however many there are – more about this later) may each start this way, “One important purpose for Christian leaders is …” Then the second may say, “Another important purpose for Christian leaders is …” etc.
2. Right along with the sermon title is knowing the specific passage(s) of Scripture upon which it will be based. Again, that information should be included on one of the church informational organs. And again if it cannot be found, the pastor needs to be more proactive publicizing it. I would suggest if you learn of the passage earlier in the week, then take a few minutes to read it during the week, or even review it on Sunday before going to church. Now we are really ready to listen.
3. When the pastor or preacher begins his message listen carefully to his introduction. Usually he will begin with a story (sometimes humorous) that should garner the attention of the audience. The best kind of introduction has some relevance to the overall theme of the message. So pay close attention to the point of the story, it may help you understand the sermon’s other stages.
4. Next, listen carefully for the general theme of the message. This is the major idea that the pastor wants to communicate to his listeners. Often the pastor will state it after the introduction and either before or after he reads the primary Scripture passage. (If the pastor has no key Scripture, you need to ask what, then, is the basis of his message.) The overall theme is normally stated in a concise sentence or two. In many cases, the theme sentence or phrase will be repeated as the pastor presents the major points of the sermon.
5. The next key element is for the pastor to introduce the Scripture passage. This may be done either before or after the overall theme. In any case, the overall theme should be reflective of the main point of the Scripture passage. It makes no sense for a Scripture passage to be read that has no relation to the primary objective of the message (or to the sermon title for that matter).
The best sermons, in my opinion, are those that use an expository method. That is, they follow the natural flow of the key Scripture and reflect the essential teachings of that passage. In this approach it is the authority of the Bible that is communicated and not just the opinion of the preacher. Listen carefully for the pastor to refer to the Bible for his essential points.
6. By this time you may have enough information to discern the pastor’s main purpose for the sermon. Sermons usually are one of the following six types based on their intended aim.
(1) Evangelistic – The purpose is to clearly present the basic Gospel message and elicit a positive response to receive Christ as Savior and Lord. (Note: Many pastors include an invitation to receive Christ in every sermon they preach as a sidelight, but that may not be the primary purpose.)
(2) Devotional – The purpose for this type is to encourage the listeners to grow in their love and worship of God and Jesus.
(3) Doctrinal – The purpose is to explain, in terms understandable to the audience, an important theological principle and its biblical basis, and to elicit their intellectual and practical affirmation of it.
(4) Ethical – The preacher explains the biblical basis for a Christian ethical/moral principle and encourages the audience to exhibit it in their lives. Sometimes ethical sermons are relevant to a current social, moral, or political issue being debated in society (egs.: homosexuality; race relations; etc.). A preacher delivering this kind of message, however, must be very sure that the ethical principle he is promoting is clearly based on solid biblical truth, and not just his own opinions. A good listener can often tell the difference.
(5) Consecrational – This type encourages listeners to make a full commitment to a specific action for God.
(6) Supportive (or Pastoral) – The purpose of this message is to give positive support to people in the congregation with special needs in their lives. Most funeral sermons are probably of this type, but it is certainly appropriate in other situations.
(My thanks to my preaching professor Dr. Harold Freeman for this list.)
7. Now we come to the heart of the matter. We have the title, the Scripture passage, and overall theme. Now we begin the body of the sermon itself. Most effective evangelical preachers, as I mentioned, use the expository method. They have studied the passage(s) to delineate what the inspired author was trying to communicate to his audience. The preacher then will determine what key points are presented in the passage and will use them as the basis for his sermon outline.
8. The preacher will often delineate, one at a time, each point of his message. These points may also be phrased as a question, in which case he should immediately provide the answer. In any case, the pastor then will read or paraphrase a portion of the key passage, explaining its meaning. He may then follow that with an illustration of the point and/or (and this is essential) suggest how it applies to the listener’s life. So listen for these three elements of each point: Exposition; Illustration; Application. They may not be always be in that order, and not all points will include an illustration.
One question sometimes asked is, “How many points should a sermon have?” One wise preacher responded, “Well, at least one!” That being said, most 30 – 45 minute expository sermons have from two to as many as five points. More than that usually requires more time and becomes more of lecture than a sermon.
So listen for your pastor’s key points as he delineates them. They may already be written as an outline in the bulletin often with a key word left blank for you to fill in. In any case, it is always helpful to take notes in order to keep your mind focused on what is said.
9. The final aspect of a sermon is, of course, its conclusion (this is the part many in the congregation especially wait for). This is when all that has gone before comes to a culmination in order to elicit a response from the listeners. The preacher will try to draw all his points together to a focus based on the key purpose of the message (see number six above). If the purpose type of the sermon was not obvious before, it should be now.
The preacher may close with a prayer in which he asks the listeners to follow with him. He may give a public “altar call” in which the listeners are invited to step forward to make a commitment. He may ask for a show of hands to indicate a decision. Some churches distribute response cards on which listeners can record their decision to be followed-up later. However, if the pastor fails to elicit some kind of response to his message, either private or public, then we need to ask why he delivered it to begin with.
Conclusion
So, next time you go to church, attend a revival or evangelistic event, or listen to a preacher on television or radio, see if you can detect the principles outlined here. I believe that if you actively pay attention to the various aspects stated above (if they are included in the sermon), you will benefit much more from the message than simply sitting passively taking it in and trying to stay alert (or awake).
© 2016 Tal Davis