1.2.18 The Two Bhagavats that help a devotee overcome that which is troublesome

What occurs after we become eager to hear, which begins the clearing of material desires from the heart?

naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu

nityaḿ bhāgavata-sevayā

bhagavaty uttama-śloke

bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī

By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.

Important Points

A fixed mind can focus

1. In 1.2.17 the anarthas that cause unsteadiness start getting cleared by the Lord's mercy owing to the devotee's increased urge to hear. In 1.2.18 the anarthas that cause unsteadiness are almost completely destroyed . Thus the mind is fixed and can focus. This is the stage of Nistha - almost anartha nivritti. 
2. Main Point: The impediments to bhakti can be removed by service to devotees(person Bhagavata) and Bhagavatam. Thus by hearing and doing service. 
1. The messages of the book Bhagavata have to be received from the devotee Bhagavata, and the combination of these two Bhagavatas will help the neophyte devotee to make progress on and on . (From Unveiling His Lotus Feet - Page 58)
3. Importance of Relationships with devotees(mentioned by Hg Radha Krishna Prabhu while explaining this verse)
1. We avoid association of devotees because we do not want to give up material nature
1. It is impossible to do pure devotional service in association of material nature(therefore do yukta vairagya)
2. Association is important because we hear from the devotees and thus unwanted things leave our heart. Also Krishna is present in their heart.
3. On our own it is hard to grow therefore we must help each other.
4. Good relationships encourages us in service
4. From anartha nivritti you must come to nishtha else something is wrong with your execution.- Hg Radha Krishna Prabhu

1.2.16 How to get affinity for hearing the Lord's message?

śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya

vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ

syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ

puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt

SB 1.2.16: O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vāsudeva.

Some important points from Srila Prabhupada's purport

1.  The servants of God come to propagate God consciousness, and intelligent people should cooperate with them in every respect.
2. By serving the servant of God, one can please God more than by directly serving the Lord. The Lord is more pleased when He sees that His servants are properly respected because such servants risk everything for the service of the Lord and so are very dear to the Lord.
3. By serving the servants of the Lord, one gradually gets the quality of such servants, and thus one becomes qualified to hear the glories of God. The eagerness to hear about God is the first qualification of a devotee eligible for entering the kingdom of God. 

HG Radha Krishna Prabhu also mentioned in his class that we not only get affinity to hear the messages of Vasudeva but we also get the strength to act on what we have heard.

From Sivarama Swami's book "Suddha Bhakti Cintamani" Chapter entitled Eligibility for Devotion One", Pg 85:

"Rendering service to liberated devotees gives neopyhtes the strength to resist their lower conditioned nature and to stick to the higher, pure ideal of pleasing the Lord. Devotees who neglcet to keep the company with superior Vaishnavas , however, are unable to control their lower nature, and their impure faith leads them away from the path of pure devotion to the path of semblance of devotion. In this regard Caitanya Mahaprabhu quotes the following verse to Sanatana Goswami:

SB 5.12.12: My dear King Rahūgaṇa, unless one has the opportunity to smear his entire body with the dust of the lotus feet of great devotees, one cannot realize the Absolute Truth. One cannot realize the Absolute Truth simply by observing celibacy [brahmacarya], strictly following the rules and regulations of householder life, leaving home as a vānaprastha, accepting sannyāsa, or undergoing severe penances in winter by keeping oneself submerged in water or surrounding oneself in summer by fire and the scorching heat of the sun. There are many other processes to understand the Absolute Truth, but the Absolute Truth is only revealed to one who has attained the mercy of a great devotee.