Perhaps things are not that different, but it sure seems like there are a multitude of things today to distract us. Along with the business of home and family, we have current events that impact us and as watchmen, see the world closing in on all sides. We read then in Acts 17:11 – “These (Bareans) were more noble than those of Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether these things were so.” (cp. Lk. 8:14) The disconnect here is that the cares of this life often flood the mind, making it anything but “ready.” Those with a ready mind come with joy, happy to be among the saints in the house of God. They come anticipating what God may send by way of His messengers. They come with a need of hearing some good news from a far country. These say that it is good to be in the house of God. There can be no readiness where there is discontent, grumbling or asking “What will this babbler say.” (Acts 17:18) The ready mind comes praying for those in need and that God will send a message that will feed the flock.
The other thing that the Bareans did, was that they searched the scriptures ‘daily’ to see if those things preached were so. I know of no preacher that would not welcome this, and would be happy to be corrected if he had miss-spoken. Consider the difficulty of this search. Paul no doubt preached without notes and without the Scriptures before him. If he gave them a reference it still would have been without chapter and verse numbers as we have. They did not have the privilege of simply turning to and reading the passage. They first had to find the scroll and then “search.” These ‘scriptures’ at that time would have been the Old Testament, since the New Testament was not yet written or not yet complete. Every preacher would be happy to have a congregation who searches the Scriptures because they might find some other good news along the way. Paul was preaching N. T. doctrine from the O.T. Scriptures, because they totally agree. (See I Cor. 15:1-4)
“Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by restraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither being Lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.” (I Pet. 5:2-3) It appears that the congregations are not the only ones that need a ready mind, but the Elder (vs. 1) does also. A ready mind requires study, prayer, and asking God for wisdom. He must be a watchman on the wall, to sound the alarm for things that are coming and things that are here. As God gives us understanding of the signs of the times, we are to pass that along. When the pastor and the congregation are of a ready mind, the Word of God can have free course.