There is a lot of pressure to be highly creative in preaching. Creativity is wonderful, but sometimes sermon-crafting obscures the very text we are attempting to open up and apply.
Misplaced Confidences
We all want to listen to preaching that engages our mind and hearts, and preachers want to bring the transforming power of the Word into the lives of those in their congregations.
There are so many distractions, however. Putting together colorful powerpoint presentations. Searching the internet for illustrations or media clips. Writing the message with a view to its future use and publication. Working with artistic teams on crafting stage props.
Then there are the demands we place upon ourselves to provide effective tools for people to navigate their lives according to God’s wisdom. We obsess over making the main points memorable. We have to write insightful questions for community group discussions that address the complexities of our lives.
This is only a partial list. Some of these burdens are real and some are phantoms. Nevertheless they make it hard to preach good sermons because they direct our focus to helping people live more successful and happier lives.
We end up putting our confidence in these preaching accessories rather than in the substance of the Word of God itself.
Confidence in the Scripture Itself
Recently, I spent time training preachers in southeast Asia. They faced temptations from the other end of the spectrum. Lacking skills in studying the Bible and applying the Bible, they would find numerous shortcuts.
There are many ways to stray. Preaching other people’s sermons. Finding commands to obey and forcefully repeat. Finding doctrines to talk about for an hour. Memorizing a handful of sermons and repeating them regardless of the passage in front of them.
Wherever in the world we preach the Word, the first and foremost value must be knowing the text of Scripture to be preached. The preacher needs to spend a lot of time in the text to truly know the text. This includes reading and re-reading, meditating and praying, and at times even memorizing. This process cannot be hurried.
In conjunction with this, serious and careful study will be required to really know what God is saying. Focused attention needs to be given to observation of context, structure and analysis. The most accurate, engaging and life transforming applications will come from thoroughness in preparation. Here is the place to gain confidence for preaching.
Applications will Abound by the Holy Spirit
The first application for any congregation is the same. It is to know the Biblical text. Our main objective is to know God by means of His self-revelation in Scripture.
This will lead to the most profound applications by the Holy Spirit. Perhaps a better question is this: Will people in the congregation be able to open their Bibles at home and re-preach the passage to themselves? Will the message statement and how we took them through the passage be obvious, accessible and reproducible for them?
Misplaced Confidences
We all want to listen to preaching that engages our mind and hearts, and preachers want to bring the transforming power of the Word into the lives of those in their congregations.
There are so many distractions, however. Putting together colorful powerpoint presentations. Searching the internet for illustrations or media clips. Writing the message with a view to its future use and publication. Working with artistic teams on crafting stage props.
Then there are the demands we place upon ourselves to provide effective tools for people to navigate their lives according to God’s wisdom. We obsess over making the main points memorable. We have to write insightful questions for community group discussions that address the complexities of our lives.
This is only a partial list. Some of these burdens are real and some are phantoms. Nevertheless they make it hard to preach good sermons because they direct our focus to helping people live more successful and happier lives.
We end up putting our confidence in these preaching accessories rather than in the substance of the Word of God itself.
Confidence in the Scripture Itself
Recently, I spent time training preachers in southeast Asia. They faced temptations from the other end of the spectrum. Lacking skills in studying the Bible and applying the Bible, they would find numerous shortcuts.
There are many ways to stray. Preaching other people’s sermons. Finding commands to obey and forcefully repeat. Finding doctrines to talk about for an hour. Memorizing a handful of sermons and repeating them regardless of the passage in front of them.
Wherever in the world we preach the Word, the first and foremost value must be knowing the text of Scripture to be preached. The preacher needs to spend a lot of time in the text to truly know the text. This includes reading and re-reading, meditating and praying, and at times even memorizing. This process cannot be hurried.
In conjunction with this, serious and careful study will be required to really know what God is saying. Focused attention needs to be given to observation of context, structure and analysis. The most accurate, engaging and life transforming applications will come from thoroughness in preparation. Here is the place to gain confidence for preaching.
Applications will Abound by the Holy Spirit
The first application for any congregation is the same. It is to know the Biblical text. Our main objective is to know God by means of His self-revelation in Scripture.
This will lead to the most profound applications by the Holy Spirit. Perhaps a better question is this: Will people in the congregation be able to open their Bibles at home and re-preach the passage to themselves? Will the message statement and how we took them through the passage be obvious, accessible and reproducible for them?
Hebrews 4:12 ESV “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”While keeping such truths about Scripture itself in mind, then we can and should be creative. Because no one wants to listen to a boring preacher.
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