READ: Jeremiah 13:15-18
Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:1-2
The scripture says clearly, “Hear ye and give ear! Be not proud!” In other words, pride is the reason why people stop listening to preaching. When you do not have time to listen to the preaching of the Word, the Lord’s flock is carried away captive. The congregation is affected by your failure to soak in preaching and teaching properly.
Paul said to Timothy, “Do you remember the things you heard from me? Just preach the same things!” Timothy’s ability to preach was dependent on his ability to hear. This is the reason why deafness goes with dumbness. Most deaf people are also dumb. They cannot speak because they cannot hear. Paul was telling Timothy to keep hearing so that he could keep preaching.
Are you soaking in preaching messages? Do you have time to lie on the floor and spend hours in the presence of God? One day, I found about eighty-five messages on a particular topic, preached by a man of God whom I admired. I listened to all the eighty-five messages. Then I listened to them over and over again. As the weeks and months passed by, I noticed an upgrade in the anointing that was on my life.
I was listening to a message by Kenneth Hagin and heard him say, “In the ministry, it is important to bend over backwards to be honest.” That statement stayed with me as I grew up in the ministry. I have watched how people in the ministry lie and pretend so much, thereby destroying themselves. Dishonesty will destroy your whole life and ministry. Hearing a side comment on honesty can change your life. I heard that for myself many years ago when I was listening to a message and it changed my life.