Watching the recent news about all the debt ceiling drama was very interesting. The print media was filled with articles about the debt ceiling. Radio talk shows were filled with talk about the debt ceiling. Television pundits shared hours and hours of opinions about the debt ceiling. And on street corners and in restaurants and bars, common citizens talked about the debt ceiling. Now that a deal has been made, everyone wants to talk about what the deal means or doesn't mean.
And none of us really understand it. In a week, no one will care. Interesting, isn't it?
I wonder how much of our preaching is like all the debt ceiling talk. It is easy, as a preacher, to get people "all riled up" with a powerful sermon and dynamic illustrations. It is easy to convince people that the one thing you are talking about is the key to everything in their lives. "Have more faith," we say. Or, "have more passion." Or, "have a daily quiet time." Or, "read through the Bible in a year." Or, "memorize these verses." And people will sit in our churches and applaud us and go out saying how powerfully we preached.
But, you know what, they don't walk out with more faith, or more passion, or daily quiet times, or reading commitments, or plans to memorize. By Monday, they have forgotten Sunday morning (except that it was a "good sermon"). A week later, they don't have the slightest idea what we said.
Preaching is much more important than debt ceiling talks. We are presenting the word of the Living God, empowered by the Omnipotent Spirit, testifying to the Eternal Son. We have so much more to teach them than little snippets of ideas. We have truth.
As preachers, we need to get away from all the little gimmicks and get back to teaching truth. Allow God's word to change lives by preaching God's word in faith. Get away from our "three-point sermons" to a one-point sermon. Get away from our indulgence of our own desires and back to teaching what people need to know.
Like listening to all the talk about debt ceilings, people will sit under almost any preaching, week after week, thinking something good is happening. But we know the truth. If we have preached for years to a group that is not changing, we know that the problem is not God's word, which always works, nor is it God's people, who are subject to its power. The problem is with our preaching.
And none of us really understand it. In a week, no one will care. Interesting, isn't it?
I wonder how much of our preaching is like all the debt ceiling talk. It is easy, as a preacher, to get people "all riled up" with a powerful sermon and dynamic illustrations. It is easy to convince people that the one thing you are talking about is the key to everything in their lives. "Have more faith," we say. Or, "have more passion." Or, "have a daily quiet time." Or, "read through the Bible in a year." Or, "memorize these verses." And people will sit in our churches and applaud us and go out saying how powerfully we preached.
But, you know what, they don't walk out with more faith, or more passion, or daily quiet times, or reading commitments, or plans to memorize. By Monday, they have forgotten Sunday morning (except that it was a "good sermon"). A week later, they don't have the slightest idea what we said.
Preaching is much more important than debt ceiling talks. We are presenting the word of the Living God, empowered by the Omnipotent Spirit, testifying to the Eternal Son. We have so much more to teach them than little snippets of ideas. We have truth.
As preachers, we need to get away from all the little gimmicks and get back to teaching truth. Allow God's word to change lives by preaching God's word in faith. Get away from our "three-point sermons" to a one-point sermon. Get away from our indulgence of our own desires and back to teaching what people need to know.
Like listening to all the talk about debt ceilings, people will sit under almost any preaching, week after week, thinking something good is happening. But we know the truth. If we have preached for years to a group that is not changing, we know that the problem is not God's word, which always works, nor is it God's people, who are subject to its power. The problem is with our preaching.