Don't Let the Preaching Get in the Way

Have you ever considered your philosophy of preaching? I believe this is one area that Christians generally think very little about. We struggle and come up with our own personal philosophies regarding music, evangelism, schooling, entertainment, involvement with the world, and many other walks of the Christian life, but when it comes to our philosophy of preaching we simply settle for what we enjoy or what we “get from it.”

Even if your church is an amazing Bible-believing church that sticks to the truths of Scripture, you need to have a strong personal philosophy about what preaching brings glory to God and how you should respond to it. 

Otherwise (as I have seen happen many times) it is easy to be swayed by a sermon that mishandles God’s Holy Word, but you respond simply because the preacher won you over with his style and speaking ability.  

MY JOURNEY

I have had the amazing privilege to preach in a few different churches over the past few years. I’ll be the first to admit that I have much work to do in my own preaching studies and style. I’m no Billy Sunday. However, I have made a few observations about preaching from my own studies, observation, and experience.

I hate it when I read articles or watch documentaries with a fake journey. I’m sure you have heard this statement from many documentary narrators: “Not knowing where I stood, I wanted answers. So I sought them out. Here is my journey.” Then, as you follow them on their “journey,” you realize that they are just leading you to believe the stance that they had all along. There was no real “journey.” They just wanted to get you to agree with them.

This truly is something that I have been trying to nail down for myself over the past few years. In fact, I am still on a journey of finding my own preaching philosophy. It is still a work in progress. After speaking with many godly friends in my life, my philosophy has changed and developed. I want to show you where I stand and challenge you to figure out where you are on this very important aspect of the Christian life.  

I have noticed a trend when I get done speaking. Those who say anything about the sermon frequently will say things like, “You did a good job speaking today,” or even “You know, Blake, you need to be more fiery. You need to raise your voice more and really get into it!”

In all fairness, there are many who sincerely state how the Lord used that message in their lives. It is encouraging to know that they were listening to the message from the Bible, and not just listening to me.

The former point of view tells me something. It shows me that the listener was more interested in the show, rather than the substance. It seems that many church attendees have come to expect the evangelistic and revivalist ways of old as the norm. For some reason, droves of church members respond better to those preachers who “blow in, blow up, and blow out” of the church. However, the number of individuals who respond during any other given Sunday is very low. Think about how discouraging this can be to any local pastor.

I have tried to figure out this trend on my own. Keep in mind that this is my opinion. These are merely things for you to ponder as I have. Feel free to disagree.

Nor am I trying to lump anyone into any groups, push buttons, or step on toes. Different individuals and churches respond differently and have different convictions. So please don’t take offense if you disagree. These are my thoughts, and you are not required to adopt them too.

MY OBSERVATIONS

1)      Preaching is NOT primarily an art form.

When I studied youth ministries in college, I took a class called “Pulpit Speech.” It was a very helpful and useful class. We learned how to effectively communicate God’s word in a way that individuals can hear and respond. I don’t think it was taught this way, but some of my classmates and I had the idea that preaching was primarily an art form. From observation, I have always had the idea that only the most entertaining and charming preachers can lead others to heart change. I had the idea that the only way to be an effective preacher was to raise or lower my voice at the proper times and use sweeping gestures that emphasize my points. I was evaluated by my classmates and consistently got peer evaluations back stating that I was not vibrant or energetic enough.

If you know my personality, I NEVER raise my voice (although I do SOMETIMES use ALL CAPS). I never yell. I hardly even show outward anger. I rarely use sweeping gestures as I speak. Even though my class grades and evaluations weren’t bad, I felt that I was doomed to be a failure. Why? Because others were implying that the only way to be a “successful” preacher was to shed my entire personality and become someone else.

Now, if I suddenly became a vibrant ball of energy behind the pulpit, no one in my local congregation would take me seriously. I sometimes do become crazy and jump and shout, but only during times when I am putting on an act… like a skit or during game times. If I had a congregation, I would hope they would prefer “me” instead of an act.

I know I may be pressing some buttons, but I believe that Christian circles encourage a faulty way of thinking by having preaching CONTESTS. They have preachers compete against one another. Now, they do judge on accuracy of scriptural interpretation, but every movement and gesture is noted and the winners are usually the most dynamic and most fun to listen to. It reinforces the idea that preaching is primarily an art form.

I have even heard of individuals stating that their pastors need to go to the pulpit without notes and just "say what the Spirit lays on his heart." You know, I have sat through many of those sermons. Really, what usually happens is someone using a small passage of Scripture as a springboard to stand on a soap box and rant about whatever he wants (usually personal opinions and social commentary). But people seriously enjoy those sermons because (1) they are looking at preaching as an art form, (2) there is little time accurately studying the convicting Word of God, and (3) those sermons appeal primarily to emotion rather than heart change. We stand against the stereotypical "televangelist preaching" because it is emotionally-based and not biblically-based, but this style of preaching is no different. I would much rather listen to a monotone sermon that is focused entirely on Scripture and its application than listen to someone preach a fiery "old-timey" sermon that makes the Bible say what he wants it to say. 

Is it important that a preacher be able to speak well? Yes, it is important that God’s Word is properly and effectively communicated in a way that makes others want to listen. It does absolutely no good if everyone falls asleep when God’s Word is opened. But is it right to compare your pastor or anyone else to the fiery evangelist that visits once a year with his scripted, well-rehearsed sermons? Absolutely not.

Preaching is not primarily an art form. It is primarily a communication and application of God’s Word. Any “art” comes secondary.

2)      EVERYONE should respond when God’s Word is preached.

For some reason, we have also conditioned ourselves to think, “I didn’t really get anything from the message.”  Furthermore, we have conditioned ourselves to think that the only ones who are actually responding to the message are the ones that go forward at the invitation.

First of all, God’s Word is GOD’S WORD. No matter how much the preacher stumbles over his words, no matter how much we dislike the person preaching, no matter how eloquently he presents the message, if God’s Word is opened, we need to sit up, pay attention, and apply its message to our lives! Think about it. It is not man’s words we need to heed, it is the true, infallible Word of GOD that we should be listening to! Even if the preacher totally misses the point of the passage, we can still tune in and say, “Now, what did GOD want to tell me through this?

A careful preacher has the responsibility to make sure his message applies to everyone in the congregation. However, the responsibility doesn’t rest only on his shoulders. It is not only a select few that should respond to each message. If God’s Word is opened, every person has the responsibility to respond. We should never think, “I didn’t get anything.” Let God’s Word accomplish its purpose, regardless how it is presented:

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

    and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
     giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
-Isaiah 55:10-11

Second, our traditional view of the invitation may need to change. As I mentioned, many have conditioned themselves to think that the only ones who are actually responding to the message are the ones that go forward at the invitation. I believe that it is a good thing to go forward. It serves as sort of a benchmark, a reference point, where we can look back and say, “I made this decision once, and I was so serious about it, I remember going forward as a testimony.” However, going forward in an invitation has often been over-spiritualized. It is not an indication about how spiritual we are.

I have a slightly different philosophy about invitations which I’m sure others will disagree with. That’s OK with me, but consider this end-of-message invitation scenario that may be all too familiar with many:

1) The pastor or evangelist begins to lead the congregation in song or invites them to bow their heads while music plays.

2) While the music is playing, the leader begins to prod people to come forward to kneel at the altar. If there are not enough people physically responding, he continues to prod or guilt the congregation to come forward. (I have even heard a speaker say, “If you don’t come forward, you are happy living in your sin and are living a life of disobedience to God.” and “If you stay standing where you are, Satan is winning!”) Meanwhile, I am having difficulty trying to focus on the hymn of dedication and my own response.
3) The hymn of invitation begins to wrap up after only 2 or 3 minutes. Those who went forward, not wanting to be stuck up front after the service ends, head back to their seats. When truly convicted, it is difficult to get all your sin right and dedicate yourself to God in 2 minutes.
4) The speaker says something about the number of people who responded and closes in prayer.
5) The service is dismissed, and everyone carries on with their usual business as if nothing happened.

Of course, I am not condemning any churches, individual beliefs, or individuals. This is a slightly exaggerated scenario, but I have seen all these elements present at one time or another in dozens of invitations, especially evangelistic meetings. I get very uncomfortable with this type of invitation because I am sometimes pouring my heart out to God, but can’t focus with the speaker shouting, the music playing, people moving all around me. Furthermore, if this is something that I am currently working on in my own personal life, I am being made to feel guilty during those times where I choose not going forward. Even though it is generally a good idea, a decision is not always about going forward.

I respect the stance that one particular church takes on invitations. I attended this church at one point, and this is how the invitation was consistently laid out:

1) The pastor did a very careful job in sermon preparation to make sure that everyone could apply the Scripture to their lives. At the end of the sermon, he would say something like, “Now this is what God’s Word says. Now every one of us has the responsibility to respond.”
2) At that point, there were a few minutes of silence where everyone had the opportunity to bow their heads and commit the application to God. The pastor didn’t speak and try to recap. He didn’t try to stir up more people to respond. It was an opportunity for everyone to get their heart right.
3) The pastor would close this time with prayer, but the invitation was not yet over. Before we would sing the last hymn, the pastor said that there is still an opportunity to respond to the message. If someone still needed to get alone, he or she had an opportunity to go to the back to a prayer room for private prayer or for counseling with one of the deacons.

I don't mention this to say that any church does it wrong. I do it to point out the fact that one style generally worked in the hearts of the congregation much more effectively, in my opinion, than the other. The growth of this church and specific response to the messages was obvious. 

This latter invitation method particularly impressed me, because it solved so many problems. There was no pride on the part of the congregation and speaker. There were no distractions. There were no time limits. There was no show. If the person wanted accountability, they had the opportunity to show their dedication at the end or to personally ask others to keep them accountable. Overall, it solidified what an invitation is supposed to be: a heart response between myself and God.

You may disagree with me, but I sincerely believe that traditional invitations actually hinder a true heart response to God. The select few that go forward are not the only ones responding to the message. It is the responsibility of EVERYONE to respond.     

3)      An emotionally stirring message does not necessarily reach the heart.

Differentiating between an emotional response and heart change can get very confusing.

Here is my litmus test about whether a response is truly a heart response or an emotional response: If someone ONLY responds during special meetings with particularly excitable speakers, but never responds during regular church attendance, the chances are that they are responding emotionally.

Why? Because when we make a decision, what do we claim? We say, “God’s Word worked in my heart,” or “The Holy Spirit is working in my heart.” If we truly believe (as I do) that it is God and His Word, not man’s words, that brings conviction, then why is God limited to only working in your heart during special meetings and with certain preachers? If people are truly sincere about changing their hearts, it is going to happen regardless of location, time, or presentation.

I see contradiction. I believe that certain Christian music is wrong because it is mostly fluff and is mainly created to appeal mainly to the emotions. A lot of contemporary music, and even songs within our hymn books (“In the Garden” anybody?) fall into this category. I also strongly believe that certain religions and movements err because they get the congregation’s emotions worked up into frenzies and euphoria. Many would agree with me on these points, yet would accept a sermon that is meant to manufacture an emotional response.

People underestimate the power of well-crafted persuasive speaking. Illustrations can tug at the heart strings. A well-stated or well-placed fact or story can motivate stir up the emotions. Hearing a speaker yell at you can falsely shame you into guilt. I am not trying to make people paranoid about preaching, but I am saying that we should not get swept away in the emotions and make a decision based purely on an emotion. Any person can tell you the life principle to never make big decisions during those times when you are emotionally shocked. I believe this is one of the major reasons that Christians usually don’t keep decisions they made during Christian camp or revival meetings.

Can someone make an emotional decision that then goes on to make a lasting heart change for the better? Yes. But this is probably the exception rather than the rule. I am not anti-emotion. I think emotions are God-given and have a very important role in our personal walk with Christ. I mean, how can any Christian not FEEL anything when considering all that Christ went through on the cross? We can’t live a meaningful Christian life with head knowledge alone. Rather, I am saying that we should not confuse a purely emotional response with a true heart response.

CONCLUSION

One of the conclusions that I was able to draw from my own study is the fact that God uses all kinds of different preachers and different styles to reach the hearts of many different people with different backgrounds and tastes. I learned that my previous stance was wrong. I was shutting off my heart when I disagreed with the philosophies of the preacher. However, I learned that I can’t be critical of a style or personality simply because it clashes with my own preferences.

However, there comes a point where a line has to be drawn. And I am still searching for where that line is. I question those times when others are praising and emotionally responding to preaching that is unbiblical and, to a point, disrespectful to the Word of God. Is it right to continue to let others accept “fluff” without informed decisions about biblical preaching? Or should I stand up at some point and say, “You need to think about this?” This blog post is a small attempt to spur others to begin thinking about this subject.

I have had the privilege of sitting under the preaching of some wonderful pastors in my life. One of those men whose preaching has had a huge impact in my life was not someone I would consider energetic, fiery, or even particularly funny. In fact, now that I think about it, he was somewhat stiff, awkward at times, and had a very dry sense of humor. Yet, I was held spellbound by almost every message he preached. You know why? Because God was working in my heart as a result of the careful communication of God’s Word. Because this preacher had something to say. He loved his people, he loved his God, and he knew his Bible inside and out. He preached God’s Word accurately with great confidence and wisdom, and God used him greatly in my life. It wasn’t the person, though, that made an impact. It was his careful study and respect of God’s Word, followed by my response to it.

I say this all from the perspective on someone who wants to make preaching a large part of his life. I pray that the Lord will use me and grow me in this ministry. I pray that I will never stray from faithfully handling God's Word, and that I can be used in some way to point others toward Christ.

Preaching is a wonderful ministry that God uses.
But don't elevate it higher than it deserves... and don't throw it under the bus either.
Be informed.
Allow God to use it for what it is: a tool to help mold and shape you.
You are responsible for your response.  
Don't let the preaching get in the way of God working in your life.