Jump Start # 1494

2 Corinthians 5:11 “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.”

  This week I have been writing about preaching. We’ve talked about preachers and money. We talked about types of preaching. Today, we look at the focus of preaching. I had lunch yesterday with a preacher in my area. He’s talented, strong and every minute I spend with him is worthwhile for me. We always share ideas, ask each other questions and are just a real help to each other. Our conversation yesterday turned to how we write sermons, what’s the process and how long does it take. Sermons do not just magically pop into our heads in a completed form. There is a journey taken with every sermon. There is a process. The steps include research, writing and allowing time to think over the thoughts. It was helpful for me to learn what another preacher does. A while back someone told me with my years of experience, that I ought to be able to crank out a sermon in about twenty minutes. I was stunned. It takes me days. Some are easier than others.

Our verse today reveals one of the purposes of sermons. The apostle said, “we persuade men.” That’s it. That’s the point. That’s what every sermon is driving at. Persuasion involves convincing, showing and giving proof. It’s getting someone to do something because they want to, not because they were told to. Parents can tell their child to go to bed at night. The child may not want to. He goes but it’s not his wish nor his will. In the military, soldiers are told what to do. They may not want to do that, but they follow orders. Even at work, there are situations, policies and rules that the employees follow. Under their breath, they may admit that those rules are dumb. They abide by those policies because they want to keep their jobs. What we do in preaching is different. We are not compelling people to do things against their will. We are trying to change their wills so they will want to align them selves with the Lord.

The work of sermons is persuading. Now, even in that, there are good ways and bad ways of accomplishing that. You may have been pressured to buy something by someone who talked you into it. You really didn’t plan nor want to buy what you did. You may even had buyers remorse afterwards. You may have regretted the purchase.  The expression, “strong arm” tactics describes the person who pressures someone to buy something that they don’t want to buy. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth of the one who was pressured. Some hate shopping for cars for this very reason. Even the kids at church can come with their fund raiser forms and pressure you into buying something that you really do not want. You order something to be nice or because you don’t want to look bad. Had that item been in a store, you most likely would have walked right on by. But you were persuaded.

Others can be persuaded by peer pressure. Most are too familiar with the bad side of this. Pressured to take a drink. Pressured by a boy friend to have sex. Pressured to go to a party that you don’t want to. These things are often done against our wishes, but we didn’t want to be the odd person out. Pressured. Forced.

Still there is a persuasion that comes from dishonesty. A lie is told to sell a product. The truth is not completely revealed and someone believes the lie. The expression, “bait and switch” is used to often con a person. They think they are getting one thing, but it is switched and they have been sold a lie.

Preachers persuade. Not by pressure. Not by lies. Not by strong arm tactics. Not by demands. No, the persuasion of preachers comes through the Scriptures and is based upon truth. This is why preachers are so careful and meticulous about the details and facts that support what they are saying. They want the audience to see that this is what the Scriptures are saying. They want the audience to see that this is what is right. Sermons will detail the goodness and blessings of following God’s will. Sermons will reveal the consequences of not obeying the Lord. But in the end, the purpose of a sermon is to turn one’s mind and will. Preachers are not interested in people compiling with what was said solely because the preacher said it. The preacher doesn’t want a following. He’s not trying to build his own movement. He is interested in people following Christ. He wants people to be convinced by the Scriptures. He wants people to want to change, not feel that they had to change. He wants willing hearts that will drop their nets and follow the Lord.

The preacher views himself as only a instrument that connects the truth to the hearts of the people. The farmer uses a shovel to dig a hole to plant a tree. It’s the farmer that is doing the work. It’s the farmer that is getting the benefits. The shovel was just a means to get the hole dug. The preacher is that shovel. It’s God who is glorified, not the preacher.

We persuade men. That’s right, we do. We do that by teaching God’s word. We do that by laying the facts out for folks to see. We do that by being honest with what we are saying. This requires the preacher to do his homework. This necessitates the preacher not using psychological tricks to convince people of something that they don’t want to do. He must be careful in how he handles the word of God. He must be a student of the word.

A person who sees it and is convinced, will want to do what God says. This is why many have confessed Christ and were baptized. This is why many have changed their lifestyles. This is why many have changed their attitudes and natures. This is why every Sunday thousands attend to praise and give thanks to their Lord. They believe. As Paul said, “I know whom I have believed and am convinced…”

Persuasion. That’s the purpose of sermons. It’s much different than a college lecture. It’s more than just giving out information. There is an end in sight. There is an intention and a goal with sermons. It is the convincing and the changing of the will. Some are not persuaded because they fight change. Some may not see the facts. The preacher did not do his job well. Some need time to think about things.

This helps you understand why your preacher preaches what he does on Sunday. He is trying to convince you to do what God says. Changing the will of a person is a lot harder than simply getting some big guys and forcing someone to obey. Changing the will. The power is in what God says. Show me. Prove to me. Convince me. That’s the role of the sermon.

In Acts we find Paul, reasoning with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead. Paul was persuading. Paul was changing the will of those people. Paul was convincing them, using God’s word. Paul was the shovel. God was working on their hearts.

That’s what sermons are all about! And it takes time, thinking, writing, studying, researching to get that all accomplished. Then the preacher needs to come with passion and energy as he delivers that sermon. Most sermons are only preached once. They are put away and most are never preached again. A lot of effort goes into that one sermon, but if it can help one person, it is so worth it.

Preaching…it’s much more than a couple of hours work on Sunday.

Roger