SansBlogue posts on preaching:
1. Unless preaching brings the word of God to life it is pointless – no one wants to hear my (or your!) opinions or wisdom.Nothing to really disagree with there, or am I wrong? Any other criteria for preaching that you would add? Do you think the sermon has been elevated to a far higher plane of importance than it should be?
2. Unless preaching leads to action [it] is worthless except as entertainment, and frankly Shortland Street is more entertaining than most sermons! (Actually SS is preaching, and often contains an implicit call to action, it’s just that the message is never Christian and often not even morally sound.)
3. The least significant of the four, requiring preaching to be memorable, will largely be covered by the combination of 1, 2 and 4…
4. Preaching is boring, because it lacks excitement it lacks largely because often one or both of the first two are weak. You’d have to work hard to make biblical preaching that connects to my life unexciting, but it can be done… But, if the preacher has been grabbed by the word, and plans to act on it themselves… That is bound to be exciting, because lives will change (not just pagans who are converted, but long term Christians who are too)
Bonus question: Anyone ever walked out in the middle of a bad sermon? I’ve been tempted before.
(For our non-Kiwi readers, Shortland Street is a New Zealand soap opera.)
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December 20, 2007 at 16:42
Oh yeah! I’ve walked out during a bad sermon before. I felt like I was being rude or disrespectful, but then if I’m not getting any soul nourishment or something I can take home with me, I feel it pointless to sit there and continue. I refer to this as a dry sermon. Then again I have almost walked out during a dry sermon, not that I experience these often, and stayed because the pastor had some good points and gave me something to think about that would help me grow as a Christian.
December 20, 2007 at 19:26
After looking at every one of the 109 references to preaching in the New Testament and considering the contexts, it seems that in every case preaching is an oration outside the Church given to unbelievers. Preaching was a mighty gift usually accompanied by signs, wonders, healings and great repentance. It rarely if ever, is a function of a church service for believers. In fact, I think the very act of preaching to the converted week after week is stupefying. The ministry inside the body of believers is more participatory, more democratic, not autocratic. Paul describes a typical New Testament meeting in first Corinthians this way:
“What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation Let all things be done for edification. If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret; but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted.”
Preaching is not listed in the gifts given to the church in Corinthians or Romans. It is a gift given by the Spirit to evangelize. Paul told Timothy to do the work of an evangelist and preach the gospel to the Greeks. Jesus sent the disciples out to preach the gospel of the kingdom and heal the sick.
I think we have elevated one ministry above all others, made it the center of our worship service, made it a performance and turned church into a 45 minute Christian Spectator sport. I love my pastors, but for the most part endure preaching.
So….yes I agree with you that preaching should lead to action in an evangelist context. But in order to disciple and worship we must forgo preaching in favor of the collaborative gifts of the Spirit. What do the Pastors think?
December 20, 2007 at 19:36
Yeah . . . I have walked out in a middle of a bad sermon. The bad part was . . . I was the one preaching. :-0
In all seriousness, good stuff to ponder when it comes to preaching. Nothing really new here but these are good reminders.
Kevin
December 20, 2007 at 22:04
” no one wants to hear my (or your!) opinions or wisdom.
I just preached 3 nights on “How Not to be a Fool” from a series that Doug Fields did on our ski retreat, after doing so and reading a lot in Proverbs I would have to say that the opinions (some of which) and wisdom from others can be very important and is quite Biblical, even in a message.
December 21, 2007 at 05:12
Rick said:
The ministry inside the body of believers is more participatory, more democratic, not autocratic.
I think we have elevated one ministry above all others, made it the center of our worship service, made it a performance and turned church into a 45 minute Christian Spectator sport. I love my pastors, but for the most part endure preaching.
Agree with this!
So why do we put up with this crap that is called “preaching”?
Isn’t what Paul do more dialogue?
December 21, 2007 at 09:40
Rick, I want to shake your hand. I’m a new Christian and have been toiling over that since I opened the New Testament. I had thought I was weird because I was bored by the preaching in my church and others. When I started reading Romans, I felt like it all cam together and… basically what you said.
December 21, 2007 at 11:47
I don’t like it when preachers give apologies in their sermons about…”I’m not trying to be political” etc. and then they get political. I like what Rick said about the 109 references to preaching being outside the church setting. I haven’t walked out on a sermon yet, but have wanted to. The problem with me walking out is I can’t tell when to get back on stage to lead the invitation.
December 21, 2007 at 12:47
I have to say something different here …
1. Unless the LORD have mercy on us all, all our works are in vain
2. Unless the heart of the message is at the Cross and the Resurrection, the words are empty and have no life in it
3. Unless our own heart is right with the LORD, all our efforts to accomplish or to get will all be in vain too …
We are temporarily placed on earth have an ultimate and holy missions, to “know”, to revere, to worship and to praise The GOD the Father and our Savior LORD Jesus … Outside these things, there is no light, love, life and hope
December 21, 2007 at 13:01
I have never walked out during a sermon and probably wouldn’t unless i disagreed with the person preaching. However, i have come close to falling asleep during a dry sermon. We don’t have that many dry sermons, ours are usually very good.
December 22, 2007 at 04:18
Hard to see how Rick can say that “After looking at every one of the 109 references to preaching in the New Testament and considering the contexts, it seems that in every case preaching is an oration outside the Church given to unbelievers.” Fact is that the Bible doesn’t usually say exactly who the audience is supposed to be. For example, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season.” (2 Tim. 4:2) Who is he supposed to preach the word to? To unbelievers? Sure. To believers? Also sure. “Preaching and teaching” is the essential job of the church elders, who in this way direct the affairs of the church (1 Tim 5:17). For this they are to be paid by the members of the church, which indicates that it is the church members who are being preached and taught to.
I honestly don’t think I’ve ever heard a boring sermon, for the same reason that I’m never bored by the Bible. There’s always something there that I can learn from. What I have heard are some truly dangerous teachings coming from people who want to share some “prophecy” which does not come from the Bible—for example, that Christ is coming back in two years, or that it has been revealed to the speaker that Mr. X should marry Miss Y. These are extreme examples of a phenomenon I’m sure we are all familiar with. Get away from the Bible and anything goes. Maybe this is why James tells us that not just anybody should teach in church.
So walk out on a boring sermon? No. Walk out on a sermon that violates Sansblogues’ first rule, that the message should talk about the Bible, not about the speaker’s opinions? Every single time.
December 22, 2007 at 20:06
Jaybee, amen.
Believers need to be built up in the Gospel every bit as much as non-believers need to be reached (preached to) with it. Besides, you don’t always know which is which – virtually every church has unconverted in its pews.
It’s wrong to be a “performance” for performance sake, but it’s certainly not wrong to do it powerfully, authoritatively, and creatively.
Analogously, worship music shouldn’t be (but too often is these days) a “performance”, in drawing attention/admiration to musicians, but it should still be done skillfully. (Ps 33:3)
I’ve never walked out on a “boring” sermon (from which I can still learn). But I have wanted to walk out on a sermon that clearly mishandles the Word, so I would make that one of the “points” (though arguably covered in point 1) – make it truthful.
December 23, 2007 at 01:43
Neh. 8:8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.(NIV)
This is a concise, biblical summary (basis?) for the Four Rules, is it not?
Good preaching will involve personal interaction with the text (e.g. wisdom/opinions), but it is grounded and rooted in the Word. Stray from this, and we get the “spectator sport…crap” and “truly dangerous” preaching already referred to.
Further in Nehemiah 8, we see the attention span of those who truly want the Word taught. Eight days straight, standing, at least the first of those daybreak to noon. If I am tempted to exit or boredom during a disjointed, monotonous, or otherwise ill prepared message that does not otherwise violate Rule One, I have to question not the preacher but my own motivation for being there.
December 23, 2007 at 21:14
10 things I hope not to endure in a sermon:
1. Doctrine presented as dogma
2. Angry gesticulating (finger pointing, podium banging, etc.)
3. Crying for effect
4. Stolen biography (a sermon illustration presented as if it happened to the speaker but really didn’t…no kidding, I heard the same story told in first person by no less than three guys in one month…)
5. A fifty “Lord” prayer (Sometimes it’s so distracting I just count the “Lords” and “Gods” and after about 10 I start to wonder whether the person praying thinks God has a short attention span, max. I’ve counted is 62 in a 4 minute prayer)
6. Hallmark card poems
7. Repetition, as if saying it more times will make it more true
8. Yelling, as if saying it louder will make it more true
9. Culturally narrow comments implying assumed agreement about issues that have no clear Biblical precedent
10.Emotional blackmail “Bow your heads, close your eyes and listen to bad organ music for as long as it takes for somebody, “you know who your are,” to come forward and repent…”
December 23, 2007 at 23:01
Danr said
“It’s wrong to be a “performance” for performance sake, but it’s certainly not wrong to do it powerfully, authoritatively, and creatively.
Analogously, worship music shouldn’t be (but too often is these days) a “performance”, in drawing attention/admiration to musicians, but it should still be done skillfully. (Ps 33:3)”
I have to agree 100% with the first part. The second also, but you have to know the musicians, the motivation etc… I have a friend who is a worship leader and does an amazing job as do the musicians that volunteer and play with him. He doesn’t just focus on the 30min or so for Sunday morning, he disciples them, he challenges them to grow spiritually and as musicians. He is a mentor to them. If they are not performing their best for the right reasons, if they don’t practice, he calls them on it and pulls them from the rotation. He desires they give God their best as a worship ministry, skillfully as you said as well as spiritually. We need more musicians like this in the church and I pray that those of you who read this and lead worship understand and strive to give the best offering of your talents to God.
December 24, 2007 at 10:11
some very good information…I gather a lot of wisdom from the posted comments.I think that it is rude to just get up and walk out when a preacher is giving his sermon…I would write down or remember the points that irked me and question him on it…we are to search and study scripture for ourselves anyhow,so as to not be misled by others,that we may not be fooled into believing what they are teaching!
December 25, 2007 at 12:06
There are times when I’ve felt like walking out (or even just tuning out) of a sermon. Those are usually times when I feel like I’m not getting nourished. But then I need to remember, once again, that church is not about whether or not I get nourished, but whether or not I’m serving those around me. Step out and get a drink or a scone, but don’t just leave.
The one time I did leave a sermon was due to the wholly incorrect teaching being espoused. It was a Prosperity Gospel church (which we were only visiting with my in-laws) and I didn’t want my son to hear that stream of garbage without my immediate and complete and Biblical refutation.