This document discusses how Christians should receive God's word. It says we should receive it attentively, reverently, honestly, inquiringly, personally, obediently, prayerfully, diligently, and hopefully. Some key points made include: we must pay close attention to God's word; examine it carefully against scripture; apply it to our own lives; and obey it, not just hear it. We are also told to pray for the effective spread of the gospel and to approach God's word with diligence and eagerness, maintaining the hope of eternal life as our motivation.

2. Introduction
• We cannot become Christians without
learning what God commands us to do,
• We have a responsibility to study God’s
word 2 Timothy 2:15.
• God gave us His word for a reason, and
anyone would be foolish to reject God’s
words.
• So how should we receive God’s word?

3. Attentively!
– Proverbs 7:24 “Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,
and pay attention to the words of my mouth”
– Nehemiah 8:1-3 “And all the people gathered as one
man at the square which was in front of the Water Gate,
and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the
law of Moses which the LORD had given to Israel. Then
Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of
men, women, and all who could listen with
understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.
And he read from it before the square which was in front
of the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in
the presence of men and women, those who could
understand; and all the people were attentive to the
book of the law”.;

4. Attentively!
–Acts 2:14 “But Peter, taking his stand with the
eleven, raised his voice and declared to them:
“Men of Judea, and all you who live in Jerusalem,
let this be known to you, and give heed to my
words”.
–Acts 16:14 “And a certain woman named Lydia,
from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple
fabrics, a worshipper of God, was listening; and
the Lord opened her heart to respond to the
things spoken by Paul”

5. Attentively!
–Luke 19:47-48 “And He was teaching daily in the
temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and
the leading men among the people were trying to
destroy Him, and they could not find anything
that they might do, for all the people were
hanging upon His words”.
–1 Thessalonians 5:21 “But examine everything
carefully; hold fast to that which is good”.
–2 Timothy 1:13 “Retain the standard of sound
words which you have heard from me, in the
faith and love which are in Christ Jesus”.

6. Attentively!
– Hebrews 2:1-3 “For this reason we must pay much closer
attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from
it. For if the word spoken through angels proved
unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience
received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we
neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first
spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by
those who heard”,;
– Hebrews 4:14 “Since then we have a great high priest
who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of
God, let us hold fast our confession”.
– Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the confession of our
hope without wavering, for He who promised is
faithful;”

7. Attentively!
• 2 Peter 1:12-15 “Therefore, I shall always be ready
to remind you of these things, even though you
already know them, and have been established in
the truth which is present with you, And I consider
it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to
stir you up by way of reminder, knowing that the
laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as
also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.
And I will also be diligent that at any time after my
departure you may be able to call these things to
mind”.

8. Reverently!
– Acts 10:33 “And so I sent to you immediately, and you
have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all
here present before God to hear all that you have been
commanded by the Lord”
– 1 Corinthians 10:12 “Therefore let him who thinks he
stands take heed lest he fall.”
– Hebrews 12:28 “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom
which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which
we may offer to God an acceptable service with
reverence and awe;”

9. Reverently!
–Revelation 4:11 “Worthy are Thou, our Lord and
our God, to receive glory and honor and power;
for Thou didst create all things and because of
Thy will they existed, and were created”.
–Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three have
gathered together in My name, there I am in
their midst”.
–Must recognize our presence before God!
• House of Cornelius came to hear all things
commanded of God!

10. Honestly!
–Matthew 13:15 “For the heart of this people has
become dull, and with their ears they scarcely
hear, and they have closed their eyes lest they
should see with their eyes, and hear with their
ears, and understand with their heart and return,
and I should heal them; (Isaiah 6:9-10)
–Luke 8:15 “And the seed in the good soil, these
are the ones who have heard the word in an
honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear
fruit with perseverance”.

11. Honestly!
–Matthew 7:1-5 “Do not judge least you be
judged. For in the way you judge, you will be
judged; and by your standard of measure, it will
be measured to you. And why do you look at the
speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not
notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how
can you say to your brother, Let me take the
speck out of your eye’ and behold the long is in
your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log
out of your own eyen, and then you will see
clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s
eye”.

12. Honestly!
– Acts 13:44-46 “And the next Sabbath nearly the
whole city assembled to hear the word of God, But
when the Jews saw the crowds they were filled with
jealousy, and began contradicting the things spoken
by Paul, and were blaspheming. And Paul and
Barnabas spoke out boldly and said ‘It was necessary
that the word of God should be spoken to you first;
since you repudiate it, and judge yourselves
unworthy of eternal life behold we are turning to the
Gentiles”.
• We show ourselves unworthy by being improper hearers of
God’s word.
• Must honestly make application to our lives.

13. Inquiringly!
– Acts 17:11 “Now these were more noble-minded than
those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with
great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see
whether these things were so”.
– 1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but
test the spirits to see whether they are from God;
because many false prophets have gone out into the
world”.
– 1 Thessalonians 5:21 “But examine everything
carefully; hold fast to that which is good”.
– John 5:39 “You search the Scriptures, because you
think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these
that bear witness of Me”.

14. Inquiringly!
• A true teacher of God’s word will be honored by those
who examine his teaching by God’s word.
–Most in error run and hide - Jn. 3:18-21 “He who
believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe
has been judged already, because he has not believed
in the name of the only begotten Son of God,. And this
is the judgment, that the light is come into the world
and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for
their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil
hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his
deeds should be exposed. But he who practices the
truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be
manifested as having been wrought in God”.

15. Personally!
–Mark 14:18-19 “And as they were reclining
at the table and eating, Jesus said, ‘Truly I
say to you that one of you will betray Me—
one who is eating with Me’. They began to
be grieved and to say to Him one by one,
‘Surely not I?’
–Isaiah 6:8 “Then I heard the voice of the
LORD, saying ‘whom shall I send, and who
will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I, send
me’.”

16. Personally!
– 2 Samuel 12:1-7 “Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And
he came to him, and said, ‘there were two men in one city,
the one rich and the other poor,. The rich man had a great
many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing except
one little ewe lamb which he bought and nourished; and it
grew up together with him and his children. I would eat of
his bread and drink of his cup and line in his bosom, and was
like a daughter to him. Now a traveler came to the rich man,
and he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own
herd, to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him;
Rather he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for
the man who hade come to him…”
• This parable told for David’s benefit but he did not see himself as the
application of the parable.

17. Personally!
–“Thou art the man” – vs. 7
–2 Corinthians 13:5 “Test yourselves to see if you
are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not
recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is
in you—unless indeed you fail the test?”;
–Romans 12:1-2 “I urge you therefore, brethren, by
the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living
and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is
your spiritual service of worship. And do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that you may prove
what the will of God is, that which is good and
acceptable and perfect”.

18. Obediently!
– Matthew 7:21-27” Not everyone who says to Me ‘Lord,
Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who
does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will
say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy
in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in
your name perform many miracles?’ And I will declare
to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who
practice lawlessness. Therefore everyone who hears
these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be
compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the
rock….And everyone who hears these words of Mine,
and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man,
who built his house upon the sand….

19. Obediently!
– Romans 10:1-3 “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to
God for them is for their salvation. For I bear them witness
that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with
knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness, and
seeking to establish their own, they did not subject
themselves to the righteousness of God”.
– James 1:21-25 “Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all
that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word
implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove
yourselves doers of the word and not merely hearers who
delude themselves…(25)But one who looks intently at the
perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having
become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man
shall be blessed in what he does”.

20. Obediently!
–Hebrews 5:8-9 “Although He was a Son, He
learned obedience from the things which He
suffered. And having been made perfect, He
became to all those who obey Him the source
of eternal salvation”.
–Acts 5:29 “But Peter and the apostles answered
and said ‘’we must obey God rather than men”.
• No value in hearing without obeying!
• Must be obedient hearers to have the proper
attitude!

21. Prayerfully!
– Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel,
for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone
who believes, to the Jew first and also to the
Greek”.
– 2 Timothy 4:5 “but you, be sober in all things,
endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist,
fulfill your ministry”.
– 2 Thessalonians 3:1 “Finally, brethren, pray for us
that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and
be glorified, just as it did also with you”.

22. Prayerfully!
– Ephesians 6:18-20 “With all prayer and petition pray at all
times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with
all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on
my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening
of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of
the gospel”.
– Colossians 4:2-4 “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert
in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same
time for us as well, that God may open up to us a door for
the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ,
for which I have also been imprisoned; in order that I may
make it clear in the way I ought to speak”.
• We must pray for the effective work of the Gospel!
– That ALL sinners will receive it!
– That preachers and teachers will speak the truth boldly in
love!

23. Diligently!
• “Diligence” - "speed", i.e. (by implication) dispatch, eagerness,
earnestness:--business, (earnest) care(-fulness), diligence,
forwardness, haste. (Strong)
– 2 Peter 1:5-10 “Now for this very reason also, applying
all diligence, in your faith supply moral
excellence…knowledge... self-control… perseverance…
godliness,..,. brotherly kindness… love. For if these
qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you
neither useless or unfruitful in the true knowledge of
our lord Jesus Christ…. (10)Therefore, brethren, be all
the more diligent to make certain about his calling and
choosing you; for as long as you practice these things,
you will never stumble;”

24. Diligently!
– 2 Corinthians 8:7 “But just as you abound in everything,
in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all
earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that
you abound in this gracious work also”.
– Hebrews 6:11-12 “And we desire that each one of you
show the same diligence so as to realize the full
assurance of hope until the end, that you may not be
sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and
patience inherit the promises”.
– Jude 3 “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write
you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to
write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for
the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints”.

25. Hopefully!
–Romans 8:24-25 “For in hope we have been
saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why
does one also hope for what he sees? But if we
hope for what we do not see, with perseverance
we wait eagerly for it”
–Ephesians 4:4 “There is one body and one Spirit,
just as also you weer called in one hope of your
calling,”
–Colossians 1:5 “because of the hope laid up for
you in heaven, of which you previously heard in
the word of truth, the gospel.”,

26. Hopefully!
– Colossians 1:23 “if indeed you continue in the faith
firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away
from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which
was proclaimed in all creating under heaven, and of
which I, Paul, was made a minister”.
– Titus 1:2 “in the hope of eternal life, which God, who
cannot lie, promised long ages ago,”;
– Titus 2:13 “looking for the blessed hope and the
appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ
Jesus”.;
– Titus 3:7 “that being justified by his grace we might be
made hears according to the hope of eternal life”.

27. Hopefully!
• Must not loose hope!
• The hope of a Christian is the eternal reward in heaven!
– 1 Peter. 3:15 “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts,
always being ready to make a defense to everyone who
asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet
with gentleness and reverence;”.
• Must finish the course to receive it!
– 2 Timothy 4:5-8 “For I am already being poured out as a
drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I
have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I
have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the
crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me,
but also to all who have loved His appearing”.

28. Christians must hear God’s word:
• Attentively!
• Reverently!
• Honestly!
• Inquiringly!
• Personally!
• Obediently!
• Prayerfully!
• Diligently!
• Hopefully!

29. Conclusion
• Need we say more?
• We must listen to God’s word with all of these
characteristics.
• Are you doing this now?