Receive it as the word of men - well it's nothing. It's very, very clear from experience, that about 70 percent of what you hear, you'll forget. That doesn't leave much that you'll remember.
So we can have great messages, but what really counts, is what is God speaking to you in the midst of it? You've got to value the preaching of the word, not: well who's the preacher? Who isn't the preacher? But what is God speaking to me, in the midst of it? Now that's a heart issue.
That's why we have worship. It's to prepare the heart; and loving God, to be open to respond, and hear what God wants to say, through whatever message is preached. Otherwise it's the words of men, so you'll look and you'll judge, and we have this person preaching: oh well, that's so and so. What we do is, we treat it all as the words of men; and we don't come with the right attitude, so we can't receive.
So firstly, you have to place value that God's word, no matter who preaches it, and how badly they preach, can still speak to me. That's nothing to do with how good the preacher is. That's the belief that God's word carries power, and that when it's spoken, and when it's preached, it will have ability to bring about some fruit in my life.
It says in Isaiah 55: my word shall not return to me void. It will not return without doing something - unless of course you actually don't take it in; so it's all in valuing the word of God.
So if I treat the message that comes as the word of God, then there's authority in it. There's the power to change my life. There's power to give me hope. In fact, out of any place I go, if I would have a right heart and attitude towards God, and look past the speaker to listen to the spirit of God, the He will speak. He will speak! I've been in all kinds of places, with some of the worst preachers in the world, and God still spoke. It had to do with the heart attitude. So value it.
In Psalm 119:105 it says: Your word is a lamp. It'll light up my way. In other words, when I'm struggling to know what to do, if I'll just hear your words, they will give me inspiration, and show me what I need to do.
There's another one here in Psalm 119:89. Forever O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. So if God's word says it, it is settled like a decree, demons will yield to it, circumstances will yield to it. It's settled. There's no arguing. It's established in the realm of the spirit. I've got to bring it into the realm of the earth.
Jeremiah 23:29 says: Is not my word like a fire? Oh, you imagine a burning, blazing fire. The word of God is like a fire! It's when the Holy Ghost gets it, that it can start to burn in you. The disciples said: when Jesus spoke the word to us, did not our hearts burn inside us?
He said: is not my word like a hammer, that breaks in pieces the rocks? Every hard situation, God's word is like a hammer; that can bash it, and break it open, and shift it. That's what God says His word is about.
Well, you may agree with it; or not. If I don't agree that it's a hammer, then it's not a hammer. It won't be a hammer for me. It'll be a hammer for someone who can believe. If I believe that God's word is the fire, then if I learn how to take it in, and get it in my life, it can burn inside me until I ignite!
If I believe God's word is a lamp, then I can get it into my heart, and at the right times it'll speak to me, just like that. It'll speak to me, if it's in me.
It's so important to get the word of God into our lives and hearts. You need the simple skills, and the ability, to get God's word in. Why? Because the word of God can energise your life mightily! That's what God says. So you're going to be receiving it right now as the word of God, or something else.