When I first started preaching decades ago, the primary ways to listen to other preachers were to visit another church, watch someone on TV, listen to someone on the radio, or order cassette tapes from a ministry. It took effort to listen to others. Because of the Internet, though, that’s not the case anymore –and that’s a good thing. We usually have access to solid, strong sermons from others. Here, then, are some reasons it’s good for us to listen to others’ sermons regularly:
- We all need to be fed. No matter how long we’ve been believers and preachers, we still need spiritual nourishment—and it can be arrogant to think we need only to self-feed. We need others to pour into us through the preached Word.
- We need to remember what it’s like to be a listener. Frankly, I struggle sometimes as I listen to preaching—but it’s not because I don’t enjoy the preaching. It’s because I’m so accustomed to preaching that I get antsy when I’m sitting. I also, though, am reminded how hard it is to stay alert and attentive when you’re weary, worried, focused on tomorrow, or distracted by other things happening in the worship center.
- We can learn to preach better from other preachers. I can think today of preachers who are much, much better than I am at things like introductions, illustrations, application, and conclusions. I’ve been preaching for over 40 years, and I still need to listen and learn from other preachers who expound the text well.
- It’s good for us to hear, meditate on, and apply the Word in our own lives. Our quiet times are critical, but there’s just something different about hearing the Word delivered through preaching. Making the effort to hear others preaching says, “Others can teach and challenge me.”
- Hearing preaching from others on a regular basis can become part of our own discipleship process. I have a few preachers/pastors I listen to regularly, and I first started listening to them because I trusted their walk with the Lord. As I learn the Word from them and apply it to my life, I trust I am growing as a disciple of Jesus.
- In general, a willingness to listen to others is an act of humility. Pride leads us to think that others should hear from us; humility makes us willing to learn from others. Pride demands the preaching spotlight; humility gives someone the opportunity to preach. Pride speaks, but humility listens.
- Regular “feeding” from other preachers can help us avoid burnout. The Word has the power to renew us – “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul” (Psa 19:7). Hearing the Word from others who walk in the same shoes that we do can reignite our fire and renew our souls in dry and weary times.
Here’s my suggestion, preacher: at least weekly, listen to someone else’s sermon. Find preachers you trust, and let them pour into you even from a distance via the Internet. I think you’ll find it profitable.