I made a new resolution recently. It’s a good idea I’ve known about for a long time but never consistently put into practice. (Sadly, it’s one of many!) I’m purposing to review the Sunday message in my Monday quiet time.
My mom made this point (in a post I can’t find at the moment): If our pastor, whom God has called and gifted to preach, spends many hours studying God’s Word to share it with us, shouldn’t we be humble and diligent to review and apply that truth?
Our Senior Pastor here at Sovereign Grace Church, Mark Mullery, is an exceptional expositor of Scripture, as are the other men who regularly fill the pulpit (you’ll forgive my bias if I tell you my husband is my favorite?). Sunday after Sunday I am instructed, convicted, and encouraged only to forget what I heard by Monday morning. I want that to change. I want to extract the full benefit from the weekly preaching of God’s Word.
So this morning I reviewed my notes from yesterday’s sermon. My dad happened to be the visiting preacher and he spoke from Psalm 42 on “Speaking to Yourself.”
“In the Psalms,” he explained (quoting David Powlison), “God meets you where you are.” Then he made the potentially audacious claim that “The truth in this Psalm, if applied, can dramatically change your life” It's true. That’s why I’m trying to apply it today.
I bet a lot of great sermons were preached all over the world yesterday. I wish I could have heard them all. But let me encourage you to review the notes from your pastor’s sermon. And if you have extra time, listen to “Speaking to Yourself.”
Let’s take full advantage of the preaching of God’s Word.
“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” Ps. 19:7-11
