Faith that comes from hearing | Pastor Raph | Nov. 17, 2024

Faith that comes from hearing

Unless you understand that faith comes from hearing Christ's word, you will miss so much of the Christian life. Wisdom and faith all come from listening to the Word.

Receive Wisdom

Only humble people ask for wisdom. Arrogant people think they can handle all situations by themselves because of their experience or cleverness.

Psalms 36:9 (ESV) 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.

Psalms 119:130 (ESV) 130 The unfolding of your words gives light;

Wisdom is the most important thing in our lives. Why do you have problems in your marriage? Because there is something about marriage that you do not know. Why do you have financial problems? 

1 Kings 3:9-10 (ESV) Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.

The word used here, often translated as 'understanding,' is "shama," which literally means "to hear" in Hebrew.

Solomon asked for a heart ready to hear, which is what wisdom involves. A wise heart is one that is willing to hear.

Unfortunately, many neglects to listen to the Word. In the name of grace, some think they can do ministry, work for God, and be busybodies without the word in their hearts.

"The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught." (Isaiah 50:4).

Many would like to have "the tongue of the erudite," the words of masters and scholars. 

Indeed, it is a wonderful thing to be able to say the right word at the right time, which brings comfort and life. Blessed is a marriage in which the wife has the right words to speak, and the husband has words of wisdom because they will find solutions, not more conflicts in the middle of a crisis. 

The way we reach a "scholarly tongue" is first by having ears ready to hear the Word. Many want to talk without ever listening.It is not enough to just hear the Word on Sundays. We must learn to ruminate the Word we heard to gain the "tongue of the wise."

Some believe that there are more important things to do in the church. However, those who do not listen to the Word suffer significant loss because they lack wisdom and faith. Those who do not have the heart to hear the Word do not receive the riches of the Father.

Receive faith

Some think that we receive faith in our hearts only when God speaks directly to us. This is unquestionably true. However, Paul argues that faith comes from hearing the Word preached.

Romans 10:17 (ESV) So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

(Romans 10:17 - AMPC)"So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ." 

(Romans 10:17 NIV)"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ."

Faith comes by continuing to listen, always, to the Word of God. Paul makes a point of saying this. Faith will not come from listening to God directly from within but through preaching.

God values preaching highly.

(1 Corinthians 1:21) "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” 

All the riches of heaven, blessings, miracles, and salvation will come to you through the folly of preaching. 

This method may seem unsatisfactory. A man stands up, preaches the Word, and then people receive the blessings of God. However, this is God's method.

The Word of Christ.

The preaching that gives that faith is the one that comes from the Word of Christ.

If one preaches according to the law, preaching the "Old Covenant" message, the listeners will not receive faith but death.

2 Corinthians 3:6-8 (ESV) who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?

The gospel is the power of God for your salvation. The verb "to save" is "sozo" in Greek, and it means much more than saving from hell. "Sozo" means saving, healing, restoring, protecting, and leading to success. All of this is included in the blessings we receive through sermons.

"But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities." (Luke 5:15)

"And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured." (Luke 6:17-18)

The Lord Jesus always preached first and then performed miracles. The sequence was to always preach, teach, and then heal. 

If you are expecting a miracle. You're only "doing" is to listen.

While He preached, people listened, and as they heard His Word, they received faith to be healed.

We receive the Spirit when we hear.

"Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?" (Galatians 3:2).

Even the Holy Spirit is given to us through the preaching of faith.

Those who seek to live utterly upright by fulfilling all the commandments before receiving the Spirit will wait forever. 

In Acts 10, we read that the Holy Spirit was poured out upon Cornelius and his family as they simply listened to Peter's preaching. Particularly one aspect of Peter’s preaching.

Acts 10:43 (ESV) 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Acts 10:44 (ESV) 44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell [ to fall into one's embrace] on all who heard the word.

It is not by the works of the law but by hearing the preaching of the faith. 

We simply cannot build up the house of God without the ministry of the Word.

Acts 6:4 (ESV) But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Miracles when we hear the Word

Miracles come by hearing the Word of Christ.

"Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith..." (Galatians 3:5)

 In Acts 14, we have the account of the healing of a paralytic.

 (Acts 14:8-10) "Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice, 'Stand upright on your feet.' And he sprang up and began walking."

Why was the paralytic healed? Because he had faith. And why did he receive faith? Because he heard the preaching of Paul. And what did Paul preach?

"...there they continued to preach the gospel." (Acts 14:6)

Today thare is a lot of preaching but not much preaching of the true Gospel. If we read verse 3, we will see that the Gospel that Paul preached was the word of his grace.

(Acts 14:3)"...they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace..."

In Acts 13, we have the entire preaching of Paul. If we want to have the same results as Paul, we must preach what he preached. We will not quote the whole message, but the end of the preaching is very clear.

"Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses." (Acts 13:38-39 ).

The paralytic had heard this preaching, which filled his heart with faith in his healing. Note that Paul said nothing about healing but about forgiveness of sins and justification by faith. This is the word of grace that we must preach today. 

You will not receive a miracle by doing something for God but by simply hearing His Word, Accepting His forgiveness, and growing in your faith. 

There is a direct connection between the forgiveness of sins and healing. This means that he received a revelation while listening to the Word. 

The paralytic heard about forgiveness, but God spoke to him about healing.

Eat homemade food.

The Lord's favorite expression during his ministry was, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." 

That expression is particularly repeated in his words to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation. Why does Jesus speak like that to his disciples, His committed followers? Why affirm that, especially to the church? We quickly take the truth for granted and get accustomed to it, not developing gratitude and awareness of God's blessings.

If you believe that God has planted you in this local church, you must receive the food from it. 

You can eat all kinds of food when you eat out, but the food that will sustain you is undoubtedly the food from home. If there is no "homemade" food in your life, then you will be subject to all kinds of spiritual intoxication and will not have a healthy life. 

Only homemade food can you be sure of quality and hygiene. Another aspect is that, at home, we eat even what we do not like because our mother or our wife cares for us. 

I'm not saying that you cannot hear other preachers, but this cannot be your normal daily diet. Many are listening to the preachings of the law. Others keep hearing a kind of emotional self-help message that has nothing to do with the Gospel. We need to spend time listening to the healthy message of the Gospel.

Listening to Jesus the good portion.

In Luke 10, the Lord went to the house of Martha and Mary. The scripture says that Martha was pacing back and forth to prepare food for Him. Prepare food for Jesus, the one who had multiplied loaves and fishes, not once, but twice.

On the other hand, Mary sat at Jesus' feet, listening to His word. Martha was bothered that she alone was working while Mary was "only listening." But the Lord replied that Mary had "chosen the best part." Hearing the word is the best part.

Luke 10:38-42 (ESV) 38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Like Martha, there are many busybody Christians who must overcome a resentful spirit when Jesus says, “No, I don’t need your service. I need your heart now.”

A couple of years ago, I talked to a brother who had distanced himself from the church. The reason, he explained, “Because I want to do something in the church, but the pastor asked me to come to listen to him for a while. “ I wondered, what was the problem of that? He said, “I only go there because I like to do “this and that”. Since I am not doing it, I am not going anymore.” 

Does hearing the Word produce some kind of inactivity? Of course not. Listening to the Word causes the believer to do the work that really counts for the Kingdom. Mary anointed Jesus with the perfume, and the Lord said that wherever the Gospel was preached, people would know what she did (John 12:1-8, Mark 14:9). 

The work of the one who hears the word has eternal influence, but the work of the one who only serves has a short impact. All service will be rewarded, but hearing the Word is the best portion.

Receive to be able to give

We always think we should give something to the Lord, but He wants us to receive it from Him. The spiritual principle that giving is better than receiving is only valid in our relationship with men.

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20:35)

 However, when it pertains to God, it is better to receive than to give. Receiving from the Lord is the best part, and it is better than giving Him something. Those who receive will eventually give something of eternal value to the Lord.

Being no hearer who forgets but a doer who act

Whenever we speak of the importance of hearing the Word, someone always reminds us of James' words, which seem to teach that we do not need to hear.

"For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing." (James 1:23-25).

The context urges the church not to be careless listeners of the law of freedom. This law of freedom is the Gospel.

The “law of liberty” refers to the transformative power of the gospel, which frees believers from the bondage of sin and legalistic adherence to rules.

Romans 8:2 (ESV) For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

It is a law that is fulfilled through love and obedience to God, empowered by grace.If we look closely at the context.

James is urging the church not to be careless listeners of the law of freedom. This law of freedom is the Gospel.

This law of liberty, operates in the power of the Holy Spirit’s work within believers. It is Him who enables us to walk in obedience.

2 Corinthians 3:17 (ESV) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

The law of Moses was a message of subjugation and enslavement. James says that if we are diligent listeners, we will eventually be doers of the Word. However, those who neglect to hear the Word cannot be faithful, steadfast, continuous, constant doers of the word.

Steps of gorwing in faith

Levels of receptivity

After hearing the preaching of a man of God, the anointing can be transferred to you. Listen to the sermons more than once. We can see from experience that a "metabolic spiritual change" happens. Let us list some levels of receptivity to the preaching of the Word.

a. The preaching has no impact whatsoever

The first time you hear it, you do not understand the message, or the subject may not suit you. The reality is that your heart is closed, so the message has no influence on your life.

b. The preaching has some impact

The second time you listen, you start getting excited and feel it's a good message. The problem is that we retain just over 10% of what we hear in a message. If you hear the sermon only once, you will receive only a small portion.

c. You absorb the preaching but cannot reflect the message

On the first and second times, you heard only to be blessed. Once you feel ministered to or satisfied with the message, you forget the subject. Here, we should insist and listen once more. Now you understand the message so well that you would even like to share or preach it; however, you still feel that you are not able to do so.

d. You absorb the preaching to propagate the message

You hear the preaching more than once because your goal is to preach it also. Some even transcribe the content of the preaching.

e. You begin to learn how to preach and teach

At this stage, you begin to preach and teach under the same anointing as the preacher. You will obtain means of speaking and arguing and even the same boldness to share.

f. You absorb the message and also the spirit of the message

You hear the message and are now able to absorb things that were secondary to the message. Those things can translate into powerful principles, and now you can listen beyond what the preacher spoke because you entered into the spirit of the message. You perceive other additional lessons or topics that were not the primary purpose of the sermon.

g. The gift of ministry is transferred to you

When you are in the stage of receiving the same gift, you become able to follow the preacher's reasoning even when it is disordered and messy. This is because you are able to perceive the heart and mind of the person you are listening to.

We know that the gift is being transferred when you can discern how the person analyzes the scripture, how the preacher deals with problems and how they perceive the spiritual principles. This is only achieved after hearing the message of that preacher many times. But the main sign of the transfer of the anointing is when you unconsciously begin to minister and think like the preacher you are listening to.