Popular Myth #5: Preaching is irrelevant
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Cor 1:18
We live in the age of ‘conversation’ and ‘dialogue’. This is the language of the generation who believe ‘my truth is as good as your truth’. Since no one has the ‘monopoly on truth or no one can say with certainty what is right and what is wrong we have dialogue. No one wants to be preached to or preached at. What right does one person have to speak with authority and certainty? Instead we shall have dialogue in order to arrive at a greater level of respect and understanding of ‘the other’.
This way of thinking has filtered into the Christian church. In Many churches which once preached the word of God will instead have a topical talk. Preaching in Christian youth work is also not popular. ‘Young people arnt interested in sermons’ it is argued, ‘instead we need to let them set the agenda and lead the discussion’. Yet no one seems concerned about the fact that the young people are no more concerned about Christ, His ways and His word! Emerging church and organic church have also fell into this trap. Emergents want ‘conversation’ and organics are so obsessed with body participation that the idea of a preacher and a sermon is considered to hinder the growth of Gods people. Is it possible that the spiritual, theological and moral decline in the church is a direct result of the lack of a true preacher with a true word from God?
In case we have forgotten- all of God’s servants have been preachers. Noah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, John the Baptist and even the Lord himself, just to name a few.
People think that preaching is irrelevant for today’s audiances. The truth is preaching has never been popular in the ears of Adam’s sinful fallen race of whom we are all members. Fallen flesh hates the word of God. Yet fallen flesh needs to hear the word of God for it is hearing that the Lord may have mercy upon them and bring them into the light and life of Christ. Preaching never has been popular. It never will be. God’s preachers have been persecuted and tortured and murdered down throughout the ages. Yet those who are sent of God must continue to be faithful and preach the gospel of Christ, for it alone is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe.
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and teaching.” 2 Tim 4:2
March 30th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
All I can say is, “Preach it brother!”
You are ablolutely right. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for sharing.
Blessings,
Mark
April 2nd, 2009 at 5:42 am
I think you might need to define what you mean by “preaching.” According to the scripture you quote, it is “logos” in 1 Corinthians and in 2 Timothy it means to proclaim the good news. In this sense we should all be preachers! We should all “preach” the good news, just like Paul tells Timothy! However, if you are implying that sermons should be used rather than pure dialogue, then I have to differ with you! If you look in the New Testament..and the Old for that matter…every instance of a “sermon” was typically spontaneous, by different individuals, and always included dialogue. It was never a one-way conversation! Look at Jesus, for example! Man, if we could learn to have sermons so interactive! Anyway, just wanted to throw my two cents out there!
April 2nd, 2009 at 10:40 am
Thanks for the encouragement Mark (H)… I checked out your website, some good stuff there.
mark (G) Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Regarding to the definition of ‘preaching’ the 1 Cor scripture is certainly evangelical proclamtion and I agree that all should ‘proclaim’ Christ. However, some obviously, are commissioned as apostles and evangelists with speacial giftings of taking the gospel message and establishing churches. The key medium for te delivery of this message was ‘preaching’. In regards to Jesus and Paul using ‘dialogue’ Paul debated, Jesus taught using questions (like any good teacher does). The modern term ‘dialogue’ is very far removed from that which the apostles and prophets engaged in. The current use of the word dialogue has clear postmodern presuppositions attached to it.
Regarding the Timothy passage, Paul is talking to an elder (Timothy) who has clear responsibilities for teaching and ‘preaching. He is exorted to ‘rebuke’ those who need to be rebuked. Now thats hardly opening a ‘discussion’.
I am very sympathetic to oraganic church. I am very pro ‘body participation’. The key message in this blog post is summed up in my statement
“Emergents want ‘conversation’ and organics are so obsessed with body participation that the idea of a preacher and a sermon is considered to hinder the growth of Gods people.”
This view of preaching is gross error. The organic/emergent attitude to authority, scripture and preaching is a reaction to absuses but creates new problems because it is an unbiblical attitude to these things.
The organic church, if it maintains its negative attitude to preaching, scripture/doctrine, and authority will, over the years, drift further and further away from God’s truth, become unidentifiable with true Christianity and will eventually die out.