Have you agonized through a bad sermon? Does God use inexperienced or poor communicators to preach his Word? What can you do when your pastor is having an off day and the sermon doesn’t speak to you? On different occasions, we have all heard a preacher speak and say very little of value. Here is the third installment of a three-part resource article that might make the difference between enjoying a sermon and simply tolerating it.
Everyone has personal interest and hobbies that excite them. It’s hard to hide your passions. And it only takes a few moments to learn who a person is and what they like. Each person has a different set of natural desires and the combinations of passions are as endless as there are different individuals. The variety of passions for life is what makes people interesting. Our passions fuel our actions.
5) Can you develop a passion for a scriptural truth from this sermon?
Preaching is a form of communication that should ignite a passion for who God is, what he has done for us, and what he requires of us. Throughout the Bible Yahweh followers, judges, prophets, priests, apostles, and teachers in the church have linked together human passion with divine pursuits. A sermon is a modern form of speech that should do the same thing–make us passionate about God. Here are a few biblical examples of preachers aligning passion with pursuits using a scriptural truth and then challenging the hearer to respond.
By Mattia Preti – The AMICA Library (Public Domain)
John the Baptist bore witness and testified that Jesus was the light so that “all men might believe” (Jn 1:7). The substance of his preaching was designed to motivate people to respond with active faith in Jesus as the Light of the world. The Apostle John connected spiritual knowledge with obedience too. He claimed, “The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar” (1 Jn 2:4).
Motivation is an important element in any form of communication. To be educated but to never apply that information to life is not the purpose of gospel communications. Jesus’ teaching and preaching ministry both inform and conform his hearers to God’s will (Mt 7:21). Jesus went so far as to join loving him with doing what he taught (Jn 14:23). Love for God fuels obedience to God.
Love is a strong emotional word. Jesus doesn’t simply want obedience. He wants us to develop a passion for him. A minister can’t excite motivators in every person listening to the sermon. But with each sermon we hear, we can stimulate our own spirits to become passionate about the truths of Scripture. The Psalmist commanded his soul to put hope in God (Ps 42:5). Jesus passionately committed his Spirit to trust in God the Father as he faced death on the cross (Lk 23:46). By God’s Spirit, we too can direct our hearts to love the Lord. Through God’s merciful revelation of himself, our minds can transform and motivate our hearts to place their affections in biblical truths (Rom 12:1-2).
Never sit in a pew passively while listening to a sermon. Don’t say to yourself “Preacher, impress me.” Such a stance is childishly wanting to be spoon fed God’s Word. Mature faith takes responsibility before God to actively engage preaching. God uses the sermon to weekly direct us to his “good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Also, don’t be sidetracked with looking for new or novel truths. These often look like rabbit trails and goffer holes in a sermon. Insights for living aren’t necessarily from “new” information as much as us learning how to make truthful information new (fresh). The key to regaining passion about anything is to make old truths fresh and alive again. That takes a mature mind and a heart trained to hear from God.
6) Can you discover a warning, encouragement, word of comfort, or instruction within the sermon?
My favorite question to ask every sermon is “So what?” What is the value of the message? Is it a warning about something to avoid? Is it an encouragement that I need to do something? Maybe it’s a word of comfort or assurance. It could be instructional designed to help me understand what or why I am going through something.
Every sermon, whether ill-planned and poorly executed, or faithfully prepared and effectively delivered, has a reason for being preached. We need to identify the value of every sermon. If the pastor is young or inexperienced ask the “So what?” question constructively. Determining why the preacher was inspired to address a particular topic helps in knowing what type of sermon we are listening to. This, in turn, makes creating a godly response easier.
Many preachers default to educating people through their sermons. This is important, but it’s only one of many reasons to preach. It shouldn’t always be the primary reason or the default sermon form. Preaching is proclaiming truth from God’s Word. Proclamations inspire, illuminate, and bring hope that motivates a person to move forward. Education is a small part of the inspirational process. There are many reasons why a minister needs to explain a scriptural truth, but people commonly listen to sermons to be aroused and moved to action. The light of a sermon is supposed to create a fire in the soul.
By Unknown? – Available in the holdings of the National Archives and Records Administration (NAID) 542069 (Public Domain)
People need to be warned in the sermon about the dangers of evil and heresy needs to be corrected. Encouragement is desperately needed as people try to navigate through a corrupt culture. Sin has marred every human activity. That means sermons need to offer comfort in the face of failure, stress, and loss. And yes, everyone needs instructions about life and eternal life. Sermon forms vary based on the personality of the preacher and the need being met. Because life is full of needs and God’s unfathomable Word answers those needs, sermon topics are endless. Furthermore, repeating biblical themes takes us further and deeper into God’s Word and we need constant reminders of what we already know is true and right.
Asking these six questions may make the difference between enjoying a sermon and simply tolerating one. You might want to write these six questions on the back of the Church bulletin, or on the blank side of a bulletin insert, or on a half sheet of paper kept in your Bible. Asking a sermon one or all six questions can turn a bad or mediocre sermon into a rich encounter with God.
