If we want to listen to the word of God

[Acts 10:17-33]

"If you want to listen to the word of God, you must turn off your cell phone during worship." There was a pastor who always scolded the congregation because of the sound of cell phones during worship. However, one day, while he was passionately delivering his sermon, again ... "Beep~~~" The sound of a cell phone rang out. But... it kept ringing, and no one answered, right? T he congregation started murmuring. The pastor's temperature began to rise. However, he realized belatedly that the cell phone was ringing in his own pocket. With the pastor's next comment, everyone in the congregation burst into laughter... Opening his cell phone, the pastor said, "Oh, God? I'm in the middle of worship right now... I'll call you as soon as the service is over and talk to you in heaven ...’ (Internet). What can we learn from this anecdote? Of course, it carries the message to turn off cell phones during worship, but in connection with today's passage, Acts 10:17-33, there is something else we can learn. It is none other than the fact that while we may hear the sound of someone else's cell phone well, we may not be listening well to the word of God that He speaks to us personally. For example, while listening to the sermon, thinking, 'Oh, this word is for my brother or sister so-and-so...', in other words, applying God's word spoken to oneself to someone else.

Indeed, how can we truly listen to the word of God? I would like to receive two main teachings based on today's passage, Acts 10:17-33.

First, if we want to listen to the word of God, we must exert effort in personally meditating on it.

What are the stages of Christian meditation training? If there is a path to deep meditation, it is by honestly presenting oneself to God, inviting Him into every aspect of daily life, avoiding the rupture of repentance consciousness due to the state of sin, and confessing everything to God in daily life (prayer) while thinking in connection with God (meditation), gradually expanding the strong sense of repentance in faith practices to everyday life.

The first step in meditation is to have constant self-reflection and confession of sins.

We must gather our thoughts around everything, from all matters and trivial things, that are related to God. Then, we should rely on God's compassion and love.

The second step in meditation is based on actively seeking to know and find God.

We must make an effort to seek the image of God through the example of sanctified saints. We should also strive to know God through the words of the Bible (Internet).

When we apply this specific training of Christian meditation, we can call it QT (Quiet Time). So, what is QT? QT is a conversation where we both listen to God's word (listening) and speak our own words (prayer). There are four elements to QT: (1) Time - a quiet time, designated time, regular and scheduled time, (2) Place - a quiet place, a place without disturbance, designated place, regular and scheduled place, (3) Bible verses, (4) Prayer. There are a few preparations before starting QT, and the first preparation is the state of the heart. It requires an honest heart, an attitude of wanting to hear God's word, and a submissive attitude (Internet).

In Acts 10:17, 19, we see Peter, who strives to understand God's will: "Peter was greatly puzzled about the meaning of the vision" (v. 17), "While Peter was still thinking about the vision" (v. 19). After seeing the vision on the rooftop while staying at Simon the tanner's house, Peter pondered deeply about the meaning of the vision, as he couldn't grasp it at first (v. 18). The verb "puzzled" is used only four times in the Gospel of Luke and Acts, and in each context, it refers to a situation where there was no clear understanding of what had happened (Lk. 9:7; Acts 2:12, 5:24, 10:17) (Yoo). At that moment, the men sent by Cornelius were standing outside Simon's house, where Peter was staying, and asked loudly, "Is Simon who is called Peter staying here?" (v. 18). What's remarkable is that Peter, who had pondered so deeply about the meaning of the vision, didn't hear the loud voices of the men sent by Cornelius (v. 19). The verb "thinking" in verse 19 means to contemplate something thoroughly (Yoo). Then, the Holy Spirit spoke to Peter, saying, "Two men are looking for you. So, get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them" (v. 19). In the Korean translation, it says "two men," but this is a mistranslation. Cornelius sent three men. What's interesting is the phrase "for I have sent them." Who is the "I" here? It is the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Holy Spirit prompted Cornelius to send his two servants and a devout soldier to Peter. Eventually, Peter came to understand the meaning of the vision. He realized that God had cleansed the Gentiles, so he should welcome the Gentiles who came to call him and go with them to preach the gospel (Yoo). With the help of the Holy Spirit, Peter quickly understood the meaning of the vision and obeyed the Holy Spirit's instruction to go with the men. Look at verse 21: "Peter went down and said to the men, 'I'm the one you're looking for. Why have you come?'" At this moment, the men sent by Cornelius explained to Peter about Cornelius, saying, "'He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people'" (v. 22). They relayed the angel's instruction to Peter: "'Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved'" (v. 22). Upon hearing this, Peter welcomed the Gentile Cornelius sent men into the house and lodged with them that night at Simon the tanner's house (v. 23) (Yoo). This is an astonishing fact. In the end, Peter, following the voice of God that instructed him to eat the unclean animals he saw in the vision, welcomed the Gentiles, who were considered unclean, sent by Cornelius, and stayed with them in the house. What's even more astonishing is that Peter allowed the Roman soldiers, whom the Jews disliked, to enter the house and stay with them. Professor Sang-seop Yoo remarks: ‘Now Peter's paradigm has decisively changed, and he can no longer turn back. The old paradigm that Gentiles, being unclean, couldn't associate with Jews has now been buried in history for him. If the Apostle Peter hadn't promptly embraced the paradigm shown by the Holy Spirit, he wouldn't have become the protagonist who initiated the first mission to the Gentiles. The fact that only those sensitive to the leading mission of the Holy Spirit can become pioneers who transcend the thinking of the past continues to be emphasized in the Book of Acts’ (Yoo).

We must wrestle with the word of God. How can we deeply meditate on the Bible?

The first step is to read the Bible text as it is, fundamentally.

There are a few things to keep in mind in this first step. We must discard preconceptions and read the Bible as it is. Also, as we read the scripture, there are often explanations provided alongside the text. If we don't understand the word, it's natural for our eyes to be drawn to these explanations. However, we should refrain from reading them and grapple with the text ourselves. We should aim for our own understanding through our own wrestling, rather than letting someone else's interpretation fix our thoughts.

The second step is interpreting the given scripture.

In this step, referring to explanations (e.g., footnotes/references) for unfamiliar verses can be very helpful. It's good to use resources like Bible dictionaries, Bible commentaries, and Bible maps.

The third step is applying the given word to our lives concretely (Internet).

Second and last, if we want to hear the word of God,

we must eagerly await and listen with a heart of reverence for the word of God proclaimed during worship.

Look at Acts 10:24 - "The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends." After lodging at Simon's house, Peter and his companions, a group of about six brothers from Joppa (11:12), set off for Caesarea the next day (10:23). It took them about two days to reach Caesarea. When they arrived, Peter and his group found that Cornelius had gathered his relatives and close friends and was waiting for them at his house (v. 24). Look at verse 27. Peter said he saw a gathering of people. Peter then addressed the assembled crowd, saying, "'You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean'" (v. 28). What Peter said pertained to the customs of Jews at the time and God's commandment contrary to those customs. According to the customs of the time, it was unlawful for a Jew to associate with or visit a non-Jew. This was not only common knowledge among the Jews, but also well understood by the Gentiles gathered at Cornelius's house. ‘Keep yourselves separate from the nations and do not eat with them or imitate their customs,’ was a general principle for Jews (Yoo). Going beyond these Jewish customs, God showed Peter through a vision (within the vision) that he should not call anyone impure or unclean (v. 28). Peter, obediently, visited Cornelius's house and shared the vision he had seen. When he asked, "Why have you sent for me?" (v. 29), Cornelius also explained the vision he received during prayer in verses 30-32. Afterwards, Cornelius said to Peter, "Immediately, without hesitation, we have come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us" (v. 33). He made it clear that everything Peter was about to say to them was not Peter's own words, but the commandment of the Lord, so they were eager to listen (Yoo). Cornelius, his relatives, his friends, and everyone gathered at Cornelius's house were ready to hear the word of God through Peter and urged him to speak.

We must cultivate an attitude of wanting to hear God's word. This attitude involves eagerly waiting before God with a heart that reveres His word. Cornelius, whose heart burned with a desire for grace, not only wanted to receive it himself but also wished for his relatives and close friends to partake in it. He invited them, gathering them together with an eager heart to await the word before God. As Yoon-seon Park said: ‘It is precious in the eyes of God when a person desires to personally receive His grace and hopes that others will do the same. It is a fervent eagerness that reveres grace’ (Park).

In Jay E. Adams' book "Preaching with Purpose," in the chapter titled "Preparing to Listen Well," the author offers some practical advice, emphasizing that the preparation of the listener is just as important, if not more so, than the preparation of the preacher:

Make sure to get enough sleep.

In order to listen well to the Sunday sermon, it's important to go to bed early on Saturday night and get sufficient rest. This way, you can become an excellent audience.

Arrive at church on time.

If you rush and arrive at church hastily, you won't be in the right mindset to listen to the sermon. Arriving at church just before the service starts, out of breath and in a rush, will hinder you and your family from worshiping effectively.

Have a proper breakfast.

If you skip breakfast on Sunday morning, you may become irritable and impatient. Planning to rush home quickly after the service to eat might lead to impatience.

Prepare in advance.

It's a good idea to review the passage that will be preached before coming to hear the sermon. You need to invest in preparing to hear the sermon.

Prayer for the preacher, the congregation, and yourself is important.

Be consistent.

Regular attendance at church is important. Approach God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having your hearts sprinkled to cleanse you from a guilty conscience (Heb. 10:22).

With a heart of gratitude to God, who allows us to taste the joy of meditating on His word,

James Kim

(Apart from Your voice, there is no greater joy)