A Great Concern: An Overdose of Sermons

I don't know how to say it, other than, we can become somewhat like parasites, feeding off other people.

The Bible tells us in Philippians 2v12 to '...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.'

Whilst there are benefits to listening to sermons, 'So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.', our salvation is based on our continuing relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour.

God bless.

This is a great post!! I was thinking about this the other day. Because I work in a cubicle, I just listen to many sermons all day. Plus I'm not a big fan of music.

But I was ready to hear another sermon and I stopped and thought: "Did I even process the previous sermon?"

If the gospel is to be an influence; it must
be believed, lived, and practiced !!

Hello Pollux,

Amen - You are spot on! I feel a growing conviction that I will be hold accountable for all the god-inspired teaching that I heard but did not practise. We can be lulled into a false security that if listen to a lot of Washer, Katz, Poonen, Wilkerson, and Keith Daniel etc that you will follow their footsteps. A friend of mine had the same conviction earlier this week.

The pharisees thought they can get by having Abraham as their father and holding the prophets in honour. Jesus attested them that they were the devils children.

Are we doing the same with these preachers and our affiliation with movements and traditions that God blessed in the past? We should not listen to this wonderful preaching as a fix to cache our own spiritual emptiness, but rather as a supplement and enrichment of an existing rich walk with Christ.

I have thought of this over the months since I was brought to SI but I think being in thus context where the Holy Spirit can lead very quickly to a sermon or particular teacher/preacher has been very beneficial. When I am brought to a sermon that convicts me about an area (or areas), my typical response is to ask God to make it real in my life. I have seen how the Lord has been teaching me about something He showed me earlier in sermons while opening my understanding to another area where He will soon be working.

There have been times where I had no witness within myself that this was something useful to me. In fact, the first I listened to Art Katz was such an experience. What has predicated these times has been seeking out teachers or authors that I enjoyed rather than following the leading of the Holy Spirit. If your learning is not guided by the Holy Spirit, take head because you are not seeking this knowledge in obedience to fulfill the Father's will.

Jeremy221

We should not listen to this wonderful preaching as a fix to cache our own spiritual emptiness, but rather as a supplement and enrichment of an existing rich walk with Christ.

i agree with you here,narrowpath.

Hi there
I have been so blessed by some of the teachings on here and a few other sites. I think that God uses each of us to share with one another and to help us grow in Him each day. I have been reading this teaching that has really opened my eyes and helped me to grow in Him. I love the fact that we are all one body and in Him we function and He gives us His understanding and wisdom to share with one another!

Of course just reading anything and never walking in what the Lord has for you is not going to get you anywhere. In order to grow you must be willing to take what you have learned and walk by faith in Him:)

Besides, more than sermons and stuff like that, the Lord teaches by experience, painful experience.

Wow pollux I do agree that there are times when God uses painful events in our lives to get our attention and to cause us to turn to Him, but I must share with you that I have also had the Lord teach me wonderful truths in times filled with joy and laughter. He is so awesome and faithful to give us such good and wonderful gifts. Some of the teaching right here on SI are true treasures and can be a real blessing.

With much love in Him

Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
As for me, I don't believe I could ever tire of listening to anointed preaching of God's Precious Word.
When I first found Sermonindex I listenened to Sermons a lot, and I grew in the Lord.
Sad to say, I'm not listening to as many as I used to, and believe me, speaking for myself, I need to go back and listen and apply the true Gospel preached more.
God Bless all.
Nellie

Would it be too much to post a sermon link on why it's true we might listen to too many sermons?

Would it be too much to post a sermon link on why it's true we might listen to too many sermons?

your joking right?? If not I don't think that there is such a teaching like that out there??

in Him

your joking right?? If not I don't think that there is such a teaching like that out there??

i was joking indeed...and was serious too...Mr. Washer just did an interview that touches on listening to too many sermons and 'living' your spiritual life off them. Pretty good, only like 15 minutes:

[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?lid=19191]AUDIO[/url]

or

[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/myvideo/photo.php?lid=1499]VIDEO[/url]

To this I can only say that it takes a long, long time of breaking (yes, breaking) before we really begin to learn.

yes it does take times of being broken, but even in those times there can be such joy in Him.

Walking with Jesus is not academic you are right, it is having a personal relationship with Him. Its living every moment of every day with Him, its being eager to hear His voice, to sit at His feet, and be in His presence. He knows me and I know Him!! Its also about taking up our cross and obeying Him in all things!! yes He uses others to share with us and help us grow, and yes He uses the Bible which is a must in our daily life and walk to be feeding on, and yes He uses storms as well as every day life to mold us and shape us. Some are painful, and yet in that pain there is joy and hope because He sustains us and carries us through. When we look to Him the pain, the storm, the struggles there not so significant because of His love and mercy, even in the darkest hours there have been those who walk with such joy because their whole life is in Him!

May I ask pollux are you a brother or sister?
with care

Thanks Giggles :)

I have heard this and I agree. We do need to be in the Bible daily and praying and seeking God daily. We also need to come together daily as the body to share and care for one another as God gives us His leading:)

Truth is you can make and idol out of anything that you allow to steal away your time with the Lord. He is what matters, actually He is all that matter!!

much love in Him
your sis

Isn't that one of the things we are commanded to do, encourage one another daily :)

I know that there are times when having a sister or brother share their heart with me is at times just what I needed. God is so good like that, He always uses those little tiny things that happen in life to let us know He is there.

My name is masculine.

with care in Him
your sis

It is a great privilege to sit under one man of Gods preaching, we have the privilege to sit under not just one or two, but dare i say hundreds of men that knew God and his word very intimately. And not just from our own time, but throughout history, gathered up and we can glean and find encouragement, conviction , help and so on. But with knowledge comes great responsibility. My own experience have been there have been times i have been forced to stop listening to sermons, stop reading books. To focus on my "life" and working out all that accumulated knowledge into life.

But in other times, there have been such times when things where pressing so hard on me i thought the thought of giving up the christian life all together, and a word from T.A Sparks turned that around into rejoicing. There have been times i have heard a sermon from Keith Daniel that probably saved me from "giving up" in other areas. So i know a sermon can impart life, speak a word from God directly into the listeners soul and change that life.

I remember Zac Poonen says about herod that he enjoyed listening to john the baptist, he also enjoyed watching half naked woman dance a couple of verses later.

So yes there can be a danger that we see sermons, teachings, books just as a replacement "entertainment". It is fascinating listening to a fiery preacher, radical preaching. But we need take heed to that we take a step back and whatever we hear that it not just stay in our head. That we digest it and it becomes a part of us, our body, our life. Someone said once way back speaking of this, i think it was brother Paul West, if we did not digest regular food we would die. And the same principle is probably true of spiritual food.

May God open our eyes to the enormous responsibility we have, and the great privileged. That it would result in the most excellent lives and spiritual men and women. There is not a lack of men and women with correct doctrines, but i do think God is longing for those who can live day by day close to the Lord and being more like Jesus from day to day.

God bless you all, and all our hearing.

Brother Christian

Santana wrote:
This is a great post!! I was thinking about this the other day. Because I work in a cubicle, I just listen to many sermons all day. Plus I'm not a big fan of music.

But I was ready to hear another sermon and I stopped and thought: "Did I even process the previous sermon?"

I understand what you are saying but I wanted to add something that I have stumbled upon in recent months!!!!

I have been listening to these sermons since approx 06-07 and I’ve been sharing the gospel with the women at the jail for a couple of years and within the last six months or so I am hearing things come out of my mouth from the sermons listened to and I can’t tell you who preached it or the title of it but it speaks life to these women (WHO NEED LIFE) and they are blessed as am I with a grateful heart that God would use me as well as my friends.

Have you ever heard of the process of osmosis? Something gets in through your skin?!!

But seriously, we probably can spiritually overdose on sermons and become like a stagnant pond but I challenge each and everyone of us who listens to these sermons day in and day out to pray for an outlet to give out freely what you have received!!

That is (I believe) my God-given solution, pollux, to this overdose issue and it's solved easily - that each of us "[b]get a (spiritual) life[/b]" outside of our computer rooms and give life to others!!

God bless you!

(edit = clarity)

We not only need to listen to Sermons, but we need to apply what we learn to our individual lives.
We need to grow in Wisdom and Knowledge of Jesus Christ.
The Word of God is supposed to be number one priority.
I not only listen to Sermons, I watch also.
God Bless.
Nellie

Pollux

Windblows, I think there is a dire need for a close, intimate, personal walk with Christ. And continuous listening to sermons and deriving pleasure from 'a sort of second-hand experience' can be detrimental to spiritual progress. I said 'can be'; what I'm expressing is more of a concern and an apprehension. So I hope I will not be misunderstood.

No I understand what your saying pretty clearly actually. All I am expressing is that not listening to teachings can rob us of what God is showing another believer. It can at times cause some believers to become very opinionated and prideful. I have seen this happen. There are times when we are called to sit down and listen as well. I think that there are dangers and pitfalls in both instances so its best to keep our eyes on the Lord and not men, to walk with Him daily in fellowship and relationship, as well as spend time daily with one another so our hearts will not be deceived by sin. God has given us one another for a purpose and a reason :)

I think the answer lies in putting our faith and trust in Him and knowing that in all things we must look to the Lord for direction. Since our time is not our own, there is much wisdom in seeking God in how it is spent, don't you think?

with care

edited:)

ccrider

We can also ponder a 'rare quote' from a 'man of God' and do the same thing.

I was thinking this same thing this morning when I saw the other thread? How is it any different to be pondering or mediating on rare unknown quotes then it is to hear sermons from men of God?
pollux maybe this is something you need to be thinking about:)

Nellie dear sister, I love your heart and you are always one who comes to pray for others.

in Him
your sis

pollux:
You used the word 'life' several times, Lysa. But life cannot be transmitted by retailing sermons preached by others.

It is what you have experienced of 'death, burial & resurrection' that leads to life. All the messages you've heard cannot compensate for deep painful personal spiritual experience.

God bless you!!

Life has to be transmitted from within you; it's what the Bible calls 'rivers of living water'.

You're very confusing. for one, I do not give life. and two, rivers of living flows from the throne of God and I do not transfere or transmit that to anyone. Are you new age?

The Bible doesn't talk about osmosis.

Judas was with the Lord 3 & a 1/2 years, but nothing spiritual rubbed off on to him.

The Bible speaks of a seed planted, and then the sapling, then full growth, followed by the fruit. That's organic; that's life; that's fruitfulness.

Again, God bless you!

edit = PS: You never stated or not how you don't become a stagnant pond (taking in all these sermons and not giving them out). Do you "give life" outside of your computer room to those less fortunate than you so you don't overdose?

Over and over again, we have been exhorted in the word to know God. Knowing God was never meant to be something of the intellect alone, but an experience as well. There is a great danger in growing our heads and not out hearts. If we do not have the spiritual life to live out what we know is true, it might be because we have more intellectual knowledge than experiential knowledge. It is "the life of God in the soul of a man" that enables us to live out our faith. Sermons are a means of pointing people in the way of God; but, at some point that person must experience God. The only time sermons become a problem is when we get intellectual knowledge and experiential knowledge out of balance. Together however,you have a great package!!

We are warned over and over again of being deceived in Scripture...
Being stirred, challenged and blessed by a sermon does NOT equal obedience.

John 7.38 speaks of 'rivers of living water' coming out of the innermost being of a man indwelt and governed by the Holy Spirit.

Life comes through brokenness. There is no other way.

This site has been here for 8 or more years, where have you been? Unless you are someone who has been once or twice removed! You need to realize that you are not the only one here who knows the Lord!!! But yet you show up and suddenly listening to sermons is wrong. THIS is a sermon site! Hence the name, sermonindex.

Besides, if you have such problems with all these sermons perhaps you should go create your own anti-sermon website! With lots of questions and laws about who can listen to what and when they’ve shown they’ve grown enough (spiritually of course), to deserve another sermon or maybe two!!

And one more thing... you never answered my question. I humbly wait.

God bless you!

procyon-SueMarie-pollux wrote:

But I do wish that many of the senior members here would ponder over what has been posted in this thread, because what the Lord is looking for is not head-knowledge but LIFE.

You would be a senior member yourself by now if you didn't keep getting kicked off the forum.

If this keeps up LoinGirder will be forced to come out of retirement.

LOL How asute of you!! :)

Pollux/Procyon,

I do believe that wayneman hit the perverbial nail on the head with you!

[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stars_and_planetary_systems_in_fiction#Pollux_.28Beta_Geminorum.29]Wikipedia: Pollux[/url]

[i]Known Space[/i] series by Larry Niven. The human colony world of We Made [b]It orbits Procyon.[/b] Pierson's Puppeteers are said to have evolved in a solar system with a star similar to Procyon (which later became a red giant).

[i]Terran Trade Authority[/i] books by Stewart Cowley. [i]Procyon is orbited by three planets,[/i] the middle of which, Sisuphos, is a barely habitable mining world.

duplicate

Dear Pollux

I think the issue is the way you come across as if yours is the only opinion that matters. You have dismissed the testimony and thoughts of others such as Lysa and Nellie in a very condescending manner. You have not spoken with a Christ like heart toward those who did not agree with your opinions. You have only just come to join in the forum and yet you come in with the attitude of one who knows all and must teach the rest of us how to be Christian.

Brother there is much I am sure that you have to share but that does not mean that others must agree or adhere to your counsel in this. I agree with you that if all one does is listen to sermons and never applies what they learn then it is useless, but that does not mean we can not or should not listen to teachings or read the Word of God. He gives us both to help us grow in Him daily.

If you feel strongly not to listen to any teachings then don't, read your Bible and walk in what the Lord has for you. If others such as myself feel led by the Holy Spirit to read or listen to teachings in addition to reading the Bible then we will walk in what He has for us.

You spoke of "being willing to be admonished", perhaps this is something for you to consider as well in the way you have treated others.

All that I expressed is a legitimate concern. There is no compulsion, much less 'condescension', in my posts. It is the expression of a CONCERN.

As for me, I am going to step away from this thread. I no longer feel the Lord leading me to continue posting to it.

in Him