“They received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11).

I would be hard pressed to identity a more precious gift a congregation could give to a pastor than to model what we read in Acts 17:11. The text tells us that Paul and Silas traveled from Thessalonica to Berea. After they arrived, they went into the synagogue and began to preach. That’s when we see the response of the people: “They received the word with all eagerness.”

I’ve been reading a helpful little book recently. It deals with practical suggestions regarding how God’s people can prepare for and respond to the preached word of God.  The book lists six things to consider as a means of preparing oneself for the Sunday sermon. Let me list them for you.

• Expect God to speak.
• Admit God knows better than you.
• Check what the preacher says against what the passage says.
• Hear the sermon live in church (“electronic preaching” is not preferable).
• Be there week by week.
• Do what the Bible says today and rejoice as you do it.

Each of these suggestions would be valuable for any congregation to consider and take to heart. Would you agree?

Now the reason why I chose to list these for you is because they are entirely consistent with what we value as a church. The pastoral staff and the elders are of one mind in agreeing that it is the preached word of God that brings health to God’s people. It’s not by accident that we place such a high priority on preaching. God blesses his word.

Yet by the same standard, we must all take part in prioritizing our attitudes while on the receiving end of God’s word. That takes thought and preparation as we make our hearts and minds ready to receive it each week. In that light, let me ask you several simple questions. First, if it’s truly God’s word, then we should expect him to have something important to say to us each week. Is that your mindset? Second, if it’s truly God’s word, then he must know better than us. He’s God and we aren’t. Are you ready to admit that he knows better than you? And even more importantly, as we expect him to speak and admit it’s his word to us, are we prepared to obey what he says? For you see, not only does God bless his word, he especially blesses those who obey it.

I want you to know what a gift you are to me as you hunger after God’s word week in and week out. You model what Luke described in the book of Acts. You are indeed eager for God’s word. I see it in your faces every week. Take the time to consider the things listed above and let’s grow together in eagerness as I preach and you hear God’s word!