Faith, love, and hope; and peace, joy, and knowledge—all of these can come to fruition through the word of preaching. But this doesn’t just happen. Here is what every believer can and must do for themselves.
God has always spoken to human beings—beginning with Adam and Eve, Abraham and Moses, and right up to Jesus Christ. Sometimes He spoke directly, then through the prophets, and finally He became human Himself. Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider explained this at the beginning of the divine service in Kampala in Uganda on 31 January 2025.
Today, God speaks through the Holy Spirit and the apostolate. His message is for all human beings and its aim is to save us and lead us into fellowship with Him. But hearing alone is not enough.
The three keys to the word
“We have to listen properly,” the Chief Apostle said, referring to the parable of the sower. Its conclusion served as the basis for this divine service: “Take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him” (Luke 8: 18).
“What is the right way to listen to God’s word?” The Chief Apostle gave a series of responses to this question.
- Believing in Jesus Christ. Without faith in Jesus Christ, hearing is ineffective. Faith involves recognising Jesus as the Son of God and Saviour. “If we only focus on our earthly life, we will be disappointed.” What is at stake here is eternal life.
- Accepting the messengers. God speaks through His messengers. Today, these are the Apostles. It is not enough to just read the Bible or to heed one’s own conscience. Faith in the apostolate that has been sent is central because it is through the Apostles that the gospel is proclaimed with clarity and authority. “But to make it clear: when they preach what Jesus taught.”
- Acting accordingly. The right attitude when listening also includes the willingness to act on God’s word—not selectively, but completely. “Don’t use the word of God to judge others. Remember, God does not want to solve your problems by changing your neighbour, but by changing you so that you can enter His kingdom.”
When the sermon bears fruit
Those who listen with this attitude—in faith, trusting in the Apostles’ mission, and are willing to act on this—will be given much. The Chief Apostle emphasised, “We will have a heart full of peace and joy, even in difficult conditions. We will find grace. And we will attain eternal life. And that is the maximum that human beings can receive.”
“But if we do not have this faith in Jesus Christ, then even what we seem to have will be taken from us. And sadly enough, that is the case with many Christians. They think that Jesus Christ will tell them how they can be healed and how they can become rich. And after a short time they are disappointed,” the Chief Apostle explained.
He drew the following conclusion: “Dear brothers and sisters, let us accept the fact that God wants to speak to us to give us eternal life. We are true disciples of Christ. Let us follow Him for the right reason. Let us listen to the gospel and the message of the gospel preached by the Apostles. And let us be prepared to do the will of God. For then we will have eternal life. And even in this life we will have peace and joy.”