The purpose of preaching

[stilllearning]

I have been preaching now, for about 22 years, and over that period of time, the Lord has brought me to some solid conclusions about my calling.

But I have a strong feeling, that some other pastors, have not come to, the same solid conclusions, that I have.
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What sparked this post, was something I recently read about preaching.......
“Great chefs give as much attention to presentation as they do to cooking. Experience teaches them that if a dish is not pleasing to the eye it will never please the palate. Small children graphically demonstrate the same principle every time one looks at dinner, and, with contorted face, blurts out “Yecch”! Sophisticated adults simply say, “No thank you.”

Even though I am under the impression, that most preachers would agree with this statement, I find the conclusions of this paragraph, lacking any Biblical support.

The Bible plainly tells us, not to consider what is pleasing to men at all, but to simply preach the messages that God gives us.

I see preaching as a supernatural process, from beginning to end. Getting the message from the Lord, and allowing Him to develop it into a sermon, and then delivering it by His Spirit.
At no point in this process, are we to consider what will be pleasing to men.

Some pastors may think, that they have to keep there Church happy, so that they will continue to have a congregation to preach to and to be supported.
But the Bible tells us not to be concerned about any of these things at all.
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The real point of this paragraph(above), isn’t the message, but the delivery.
That is, if we make our delivery more attractive, then it will go down easier.

With this in mind, I have not started using powerpoint yet, but when I do, I am going to be careful not to allow it, to detract from God’s message.

 

[thegospelgeek]

The day I start worrying about my presentation is the day I quit preaching. My hope is to take what God gave me and deliver it to the congregation.

 

[Tom Butler]

I don't see anything wrong with a visual aid to drive home a point.

Jesus, in Matthew 9 called the twelve together in a teachable moment. He put a small child right in the middle of them, then proceeded to teach them that whoever receives a child like this receives him and the one who sent him. He was teaching humility.

In Matthew 18, Jesus put a little child int he midst of them, and drove home this point: You must become as a little child in order to enter the kingdom of heaven.

You may feel free to make the message more interesting, but you are not free to make it more palatable. The gospel by nature is offensive.

 

[TCGreek]

From a biblical standpoint, I view the purpose of preaching in a three-fold manner:

1. To exalt God.

2. To edify believers

3. To evangelize nonbelievers.

I bet you could find Scripture for all three.

 

[Allan]

You may feel free to make the message more interesting, but you are not free to make it more palatable. The gospel by nature is offensive.

Preach on brother! Preach on!:thumbs:

 

[Allan]

From a biblical standpoint, I view the purpose of preaching in a three-fold manner:

1. To exalt God.

2. To edify believers

3. To evangelize nonbelievers.

I bet you could find Scripture for all three.

That can also be said of the Church as well, at least in basic function.
Yet it is truth on to both aspects.

 

[TCGreek]

That can also be said of the Church as well, at least in basic function.
Yet it is truth on to both aspects.

Allan, you're right about that.

 

[Pastor Larry]

What sparked this post, was something I recently read about preaching.......

Here is something better to read about preaching: 1 Corinthians 2:3-5 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

This wouldn't be a bad reminder either: 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

 

[Aaron]

The purpose of preaching: the edification, exhortation and comfort of the elect.

“Great chefs give as much attention to presentation as they do to cooking. Experience teaches them that if a dish is not pleasing to the eye it will never please the palate. Small children graphically demonstrate the same principle every time one looks at dinner, and, with contorted face, blurts out “Yecch”! Sophisticated adults simply say, “No thank you.”

Even though I am under the impression, that most preachers would agree with this statement, I find the conclusions of this paragraph, lacking any Biblical support.

Depends on whether one is preaching to sheep or dogs.

 

[Trotter]

“Great chefs give as much attention to presentation as they do to cooking. Experience teaches them that if a dish is not pleasing to the eye it will never please the palate. Small children graphically demonstrate the same principle every time one looks at dinner, and, with contorted face, blurts out “Yecch”! Sophisticated adults simply say, “No thank you.”

To me, this makes perfect sense. Paul became all things to all men so that he might reach some. He didn't water down the message but he brought to where they were, both physically and mentally.

When I preach, I prepare not only what God has given me, but how it will be delivered. How so? I lay it out logically so that others can follow the route of it. I put pertinant examples in the appropriate places. I plan for elaboration in areas that may need clarification or to be plumbed to a deeper depth. I put all of this is a langage and style that will be easily understood by those who will hear it.

Have I gone against the bible in any way? Not that I can see. Have I watered down the Gospel or adulterated God's truth? Far from it. Yet I have put time and effort into the the presentation of the message. In much of my preparations I am both "cooking the dish" and "preparing the presentation" at the same time.

What good would it do if I stood and just threw facts at the congregation? Or just told stories that had morales? Or just read off points? None, absolutely none. And yet many will stand behind a pulpit, shout and fling their arms while pounding on the wood, sling a lot of spit, and finish with the congregation having received very little of the truth that was shown to the speaker beforehand.

Yes, the Gospel itself is offensive to men, but the presentation of it need not be so.

 

[Revmitchell]

Yes, the Gospel itself is offensive to men, but the presentation of it need not be so.

The problem is the gospel is not defendant on a presentation. We forget the Holy Ghost in all of this.And far to many times the message gets a beating under the guise of a bad presentation.

 

[Trotter]

Right you are, mi amigo.Without the Holy Spirit, any presentation will fall flat. Been there, done that.

A sleek presentation cannot replace the Holy Spirit's work, but a bad one can distract the congregation from His work. I have seen the Gospel presented in such a disjointed and confusing way that no one there could make heads nor tails of it, and I have seen sermons that had very little depth or meat to them make huge impacts because they were laid out well and easy to follow.

God does the drawing and the saving; we are to deliver His message. I aim to deliver that message as best I can and in the best manner I can.