One of the fears I have as a teaching pastor is that as a North American Church is that we have become convinced that as long as I am hearing new things and listening to new messages I am doing what I need to do,I'm okay, I'm in a daily walk with Jesus. In 2 Timothy Paul writes in chapter 3 about the terrible times that will be in the end. Verse 7 sticks out as something that I believe we need to pay attention to very closely. Paul says that people in that day will be... "always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." Man! We live in that time. And the truth is even as the Church we need to recognize that we are influenced by that kind of learning and understanding.
I think it can be easy for us to sit in Church and hear a bible message during the week, maybe even read a daily devotional and read or hear something new and feel like we have had our time with Jesus because of it. True learning as Knowles, Holton, and Swanson, the authors of The Adult Learner, see it only happens when a person hears new information and then changes things in their lives because of it. I would argue that many in the Church hear about much but don't nessisarly learn about much.
The real question for the Christian then isn't "did you learn something new in Church today?" because I believe most falsely understanding learning to mean hearing. They believe because they have heard it they have learned it. This is not accurate. The questions then need to be asked in two parts. One, did you hear something new today? Two, Did you make the changes to your life that the application of that new information calles you to? If a person can say yes to both then and only then did they truly learn something from that message, scripture, or devotional. If we are to grow into Christlikeness more and more we need to be open to the Holy Spirit showing us the truth about Jesus and showing us the truth bout ourselves. But we also must be open to changing what He calls us to change and being willing to let go of what He is calling us to let go. If there is no change in our lives because of what we have heard then we are only hearing and not learning.
In many if we are truly learning in Jesus Christ by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit living in us we will be changing and becoming in our actions, words, responses and attitudes more and more like Jesus in every area of our lives. So, I leave you the questions, can you say that in the last month you are learning from and from Jesus Christ as He speaks to you through His Holy Spirit, Holy Word and His Holy Spirit filled people? Are you more and more changing your words, actions, attitudes and ways to be more and more like Jesus? Is the message of the gospel more and more on your lips? Are the Words of God, full of grace and truth more and more the words you find yourself speaking and sharing? Is your heart changing and being filled more and more with love for the people, even strangers around you? Are you walking more and more in the fruit of the Holy Spirit? Are your responses and actions more and more loving, joyful, peaceful, forbearing, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled? And perhaps most importantly, as Jesus aimed to intentionally impact others with His love, grace and truth, are your actions, and plans and intentions, what you think about and pray about more and more in the direction of internationally impacting other's with and for Jesus Christ the one risen from the dead and Saviour and Lord of all mankind?
Or
Have you just been hearing?
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