10 keys to effective preaching 2
(This is part 2 of a 5 parts blog; for part 1 just scroll down this page)
When it comes to preaching and teaching the Bible, we all fall short. Who hasn't quoted the wrong reference or (worse) read the wrong passage of Scripture altogether? Who hasn't, in the heat of the moment, accidentally gotten tongue-tied and credited Paul with the words of Peter? You may even find yourself creating a homiletical mountain out of an exegetical molehill. Everyone makes mistakes, but for all the mistakes preachers can (and do) make, here are 10 that we should do our best to avoid at all costs.
4. You should always point to Christ in your message
Seeing that Jesus Christ is the focal point of every passage, it stands to reason that He should, therefore, be the focal point of every sermon. As Dennis Johnson writes, "Whatever our biblical text and theme, if we want to impart God's life giving wisdom in its exposition, we can do nothing other than proclaim Christ."
The most humbling experience of my seminary years was related to this. In one of my preaching classes, I had to give several sermons in front of my peers and professor. The first sermon I preached was well received and complimented. So after the second sermon (from the Old Testament), I sat down arrogantly waiting to hear "the showers of blessings" and compliments about how well I had done. My professor said, "That message was passionate and challenging … but you made one huge mistake." He continued, "You could have preached that message in a Jewish synagogue or a Muslim mosque and [the congregation] could have said ‘Amen!' to everything you said. You never once mentioned Christ in your entire message." He left me with this challenge: "You need to be sure that every time you preach, even from the Old Testament, that if a Jew or Muslim were in the audience that [he or she] would feel extremely uncomfortable."
Remember, we are not simply preachers; we are to be distinctly Christian preachers.
5. You have to encourage your hearers to faith and obedience
It's like the old hymn: "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey." Regardless of the passage, the goal of every sermon should be to remind people that whatever the issue or doctrine at hand God and His Word are reliable.
When God gave the Ten Commandments, He didn't begin by barking orders at the Israelites. In fact, the Ten Commandments don't start with commands. They begin with the reassuring words, "I am the Lord your God who brought you up out of the land of Egypt …" (Ex 20:1). In other words, God reminded them, "You can trust Me; that's why you should obey Me."
The real motivation for Christian living is not "I have to obey God," but it is "Given everything I know to be true about Him, why wouldn't I obey God?" A good sermon will help people to think and live that way.
(To be continued)