We are gathered here this morning so that God might govern us, and so that the Lord Jesus Christ might demonstrate His rule among us. There are many ways that this is shown in the service of worship, but one of the central ones is seen in the way we listen to the Word of God.
We are to listen with respect. This is why we stand during the reading of the Scripture. We are not listening to the words of a man reading, but rather to the words of our God reigning.
We are to listen with humility. We should come ready to have our ways rebuked and corrected; we should expect sin to be identified so that we might confess and forsake; we should forsake, in principle, every proud opinion we might have, and do this before the first word of the sermon.
We are to hear with gladness. God has not abandoned us. We are His people; we are the sheep of His pasture. His Son is the Good Shepherd, and when we recognize His voice, as Scripture says we will, we do so with gladness and simplicity of heart.
This means that we should hear the Word of God having prepared ourselves to do so. Compose your hearts and minds. Read and meditate on the text beforehand. Encourage others in your household to do the same.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear.