Jump Start # 2315

2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”

Preach the word—the avenue to do that is what we call sermons. The other day I was out driving about listening to some of my favorite songs. The group, “The Eagles,” was on the radio. Love the song that was being played. I’ve seen the Eagles in concert. I’ve heard the song on the radio so many times, I know the words by heart. When I saw them live, I hoped that they would sing this song. They did. It was amazing.

That got me to thinking about sermons. I’ve been digging through some sermons finding what I want to take on the road in meetings. Sermons and songs on the radio are so different. We like hearing the same songs over and over. But we want each sermon to be an original. The more I thought about this, I realized that about 95% of my sermons will never be preached again. A lot of hours went into those sermons and once they are preached, they get filed away and most times are never surfaced again.

Once in a while, because of heavy schedule or a very busy week, a preacher may try to sneak an oldie in, but someone usually will catch it and that makes the preacher feel guilty. To repeat a sermon makes it seem like he didn’t do his work that week. He’s getting lazy. Guilt and shame keeps most of us from every preaching the same sermons to the same crowd again. It’s ok to hear the same song on the radio over and over, but we don’t want to hear the same sermon a second time.

Here are some thoughts:

First, new sermons keeps the preacher fresh, sharp and always learning and teaching. That’s the upside to new sermons. It is easy to get lazy, but most of the preachers I know would never be accused of that. They are so busy with so many other things that laziness is not among them. Always reading. Always thinking. Always observing. Always reflecting. Growth comes that way. It’s been said that a growing church comes from a growing pulpit and a growing leadership.

Second, for preachers that have been at the same congregation for a dozen years or more, most folks wouldn’t remember those early sermons and if the church has been growing, there will be many who never heard the sermons the first time they were delivered. Many of us like to preach a special series. A lot of time when into developing those series. It would be good to hear some of those lessons again. Rather than feeling ashamed and trying to pass off an old sermon as a new one by changing the title, rearranging and renaming the points, why not be upfront about it? Better still, wouldn’t it be wonderful if the shepherds asked the preacher to bring out a series that was first preached several years ago. It’s time to connect again. The Holy Spirit, through Peter’s hands, reminded the brethren of truths that they had known and heard before.

Third, the preacher can find ways to use the truths in those sermons in other avenues. Find ways to put them in class material. Use them for the basis of articles. A few of my sermons have become Jump Starts. It’s a shame that you put so much into a sermon and then it’s done and tucked away for good. There are other means to get those principles out.

Fourth, the truth taught actually never is lost. First, in the heart of the preacher, he has learned things. These will come out as he talks to others. Second, as the audience learns, they will remember and they will change. In this age of recordings and videos, many of those sermons are heard over and over again. There was a time when a preacher delivered a sermon and it was heard one time and that was it. These days, those sermons live on and on because of technology.

Fifth, the preacher shouldn’t feel like his efforts are wasted or in vain. He pours hours into developing a sermon and then it’s over. He may never preach that sermon again. Did it do any good? Most of us can not remember what we ate last year, except for a few special occasions at nice restaurants or holidays. Three meals a day for a whole year and we can remember just a handful. Were all those other meals useless? No. They gave us nourishment and strength for the time. They helped us. And, because we may not remember much about the meals, at the moment they were very helpful. The same goes with sermons. We may look back and remember a few here and there, but most have been forgotten. At the moment, they helped. At the moment, we learned some things. We may not recall the titles, the main points, but there have been things that we wrote in our Bibles and there were things that we stored in our memories that helped. And, although most have been forgotten, at the time they got us through worry, doubt and answered our questions. Those sermons challenged us and moved us. Those sermons changed us. We may not be able to point to one specific sermon, but we can see the accumulated good that they have done. Sitting at the feet of good preaching builds us, strengthens us, and helps us to grow.

There’s a lot to writing a sermon. From ideas, to introductions, to textual considerations, to applications, to illustrations—it’s like a composer writing a score for the symphony. There are many parts. There are many things to add and some things to drop off. There is a time factor to keep in mind. One must keep the audience in mind. What do they know and what are they going through. A lot of digging, thinking, writing, tossing paper into the waste basket, looking things up in books, reading, researching that goes into a single sermon. Those that boast that they can write a sermon in fifteen minutes, aren’t really lowering the nets very much.

I have a collection of sermon outlines books that were written from generations ago. Of all the sermons those preachers preached, what remains today are about a dozen or so that are recorded in those books. What happened to all the other sermons? They were lived in the lives of those who heard them. Good was accomplished. And, what will be the future of the sermons we preach these days? It will be the same. A few might find their ways into a book that will sit on a shelf. But most will be lived in the hearts of those who hear us.

It is said of David that he served the purpose of God in his own generation. That’s what our sermons do. So, get to it Mr. Preacher. Sunday’s coming and we need God’s word preached to us.

Roger

Jump Start # 2128

2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”

Joe Walsh is a legendary rock singer. He has been with the group Eagles for decades. He is a great guitar player and once known for his hard partying, trashing hotel rooms and heavy drug use. When the Eagles got back together, he was invited with the condition that those drugs and partying days were over. He was on a show recently with some younger musicians. They were playing his songs together with him. You could tell that the younger and upcoming stars were in awe of Joe Walsh. Sitting around a table, he gave some advice that fits into our Jump Start today. He told the younger musicians, you just have to play before live audiences all the time. You’ll be bad, some days. Really bad. But you stay at it. You keep playing and playing. You find your style and then, you become good. You can be really good. There was no arrogance in his words. Just a fellow musician trying to help out those behind him. Advice. Tips. Support.

That advice, those words, fit preaching. I was with a good friend, a fellow preacher, as we were listening to this. I turned to him and said, that’s preaching. That’s the secret. You just have to preach. Preach and preach all the time. Every chance you get, preach. Some sermons are bad, really bad. Some will never be preached again. But you keep doing it. Sunday after Sunday. There is something about standing before people and preaching. I’m not a fan of having a young guy preach to an empty auditorium or just to one person. He needs Sundays. He needs to preach before people. He needs to learn the art of preaching.

It’s one thing to know God’s word. That’s the first step in preaching. A person may be a gifted speaker and very comfortable in front of an audience, but if he doesn’t know God’s word, he’ll not do well. Our verse tells us to preach the word. In order to do that, one must know that word. If you looked at highly successful people, musicians, athletes, you’ll find that they poured hours and hours into knowing what they were doing. The story is told that Larry Bird had keys to the Boston Gardens and late at night, after the game was over and the fans had gone home, he would be practicing shot after shot for hours. The inside story of most of the famous rock bands, including the Beatles, reveals that they sat around playing and playing all the time. When they weren’t preforming, they were traveling on buses and they were playing and playing. They got good. So, the preacher must spend hours and hours reading, thinking and learning God’s word. There is no short cut. Ask Larry Bird. Ask Joe Walsh. Ask any preacher who has been doing this for decades.

Second, there is an art to preaching and each preacher has his own style. It takes a while to develop that style and what is comfortable and what is a natural part of his own personality. How do you tackle a subject? How do you begin it? How do you develop it? How do you end it? What verses to use? What illustrations to use? All of this, coming from the mind and the heart of the preacher, is developed over time. Some guys can sit down and write out a sermon in a short time. Others, are working on it all week long. Some seem so natural and smooth when they preach. Others, look like they are really working hard. Abe Lincoln said that he liked it when the preacher seemed to be fighting bees.

Third, there are aspects all around the preacher that effects how he preaches. How tired the preacher is, will impact how he delivers the sermon. Is he stressed about other things? Was it a busy week and did he have to rush in writing the sermon? Is he feeling well? Is the church chewing at his heels? A great sermon on paper can be a dude because of the way the preacher delivers it. Likewise, a so-so sermon can soar out of the stadium because of the passion, heart and the way the preacher delivered it.

Fourth, it has always amazed me that people who hear the exact same sermon at the same time can have such a different response. Some yawn their way through the sermon. It seemed long and dry to them. Yet, the very same sermon, may cause a person to change their life. So, that reminds us that the final part of the connection between the word of God and the preacher, is the heart and the ears of the audience. A tired audience will seem sleepy and dull. An audience that is bothered, preoccupied or stressed will struggle to get what the preacher is saying. An audience that is alert, interested and wanting to hear, will find great strength and encouragement from the lesson.

This is why the wisdom of Joe Walsh fits preaching. A preacher needs to preach before audiences. Preach and preach and preach. He must work through himself and all that is going on in his world to put our the best sermon that he can. He then must learn how to be interesting. He must be Biblical. He must be kind and thoughtful. He must be convincing and persuasive. He must learn how to preach through a sleepy audience. He must learn how to preach to an audience that is bothered by world events, such as after the attacks on the World Trade Center. He must preach when the audience has learned of a death of a beloved member and everyone is shocked. He must preach when it seems everyone’s mind is somewhere else. How he learns these things is to preach and preach and preach. He’ll have bad sermons, especially when he is young and starting out. He hopes folks will forget those moments. But he stays at it and continues to preach. Small crowds. Big crowds. Preaching when the air conditioners aren’t working and it’s hot. Preaching when the babies are crying. Preaching when mics aren’t working. Preaching when some are sleeping. He’s preaching and preaching and preaching. And, after a while, he hits it. He finds what’s comfortable. He becomes good. He becomes real good. And, it’s in those moments that lives are changed and great good is done.

So, we need to be patient with the young preachers and those who are first learning. The best thing we can do for them is to just let them preach. As they study, grow and become stronger, so will their ability. We have some amazing preachers among us in our fellowship. You see their names all the time. They are holding meetings everywhere. If you get a chance, go out and listen to these great preachers. You’ll learn much and you’ll realize that these guys all started out basically the same. They used the talent that God gave them and they practiced and practiced and found what works best for them. We love them. They do so much good and we realize that as they age and slow down, others will come along. Some will be even better. Those that really take this seriously and work hard at improving, it shows. They have gotten good because they have poured heart and time into what it takes. They are the Larry Bird shooting baskets in an empty gym. They are the Paul McCartney strumming a guitar in a dressing room. But unlike the world’s superstars, our preachers point us to Jesus. We don’t honor the preacher, we honor the Lord. We don’t fill the walls of the preacher’s office with awards and gold records. His praise comes from knowing that he has helped others to get closer to the Lord. We don’t gather on Sunday to hear a man, but to learn from the word of God. It’s not the preacher, it’s the Lord that we are attracted to. Preachers come and go, but our walk and our faith is in the Lord.

But God bless all the dedicated men who have made a difference, not just in the kingdom, but in our lives. They have paid what it took to become good at what they are doing. Years have gone into standing before audiences on Sunday mornings and preaching. We all have a favorite preacher, I do. We all have certain preachers that we really like to listen to. We notice, they all preach the word of God, but they each have their own unique style and way they get about doing that. It’s that variety, that individual personality that makes preaching special to us.

Paul’s words are: preach the word. Preach it in season and out of season. Just preach it. And, young preacher, hang in there, and keep preaching. Remain humble. Allow the Lord to use you. And preach every chance you get. You’re getting good. And, above all, you’re doing good. And, that’s what matters the most!

Roger

Jump Start # 2107

2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”

It was a Sunday morning. I’m sitting on the front row getting ready to get up and preach. A man leads the congregation in a prayer. In that prayer, he asks that the lesson that the audience is about to hear be beneficial. Beneficial. Now, I’ve heard many things in prayers before and I have my own little prayer that I say each time before I preach. But, I’ve never heard that one. May the lesson be beneficial. I like that.

Let’s give that some thought.

First, if the sermon is not beneficial, then it wasn’t helpful. To benefit means to help. Now, the lesson may have been true, factual, and well stated, but it may not have helped the audience. We need beneficial sermons.

Second, what is beneficial may not always be pleasant. A dad correcting his son, may not be one of those precious memories that we hold on to, but it may be the very thing that keeps the son out of trouble. Surgery isn’t a lot of fun, but it’s often very necessary. It is beneficial to keep us alive. So, the measuring rod of a beneficial sermon, is not how well I like it, but rather what good it did for me. Some sermons may step on my toes. Maybe I needed that. Some sermons may knock the cobwebs out of my head. I know I need that. Some sermons may make me uncomfortable. When Peter preached, the audience interrupted and said, “What shall we do?” Peter was helping them. It was beneficial for them.

Third, in many audiences, especially, in larger crowds, it is very possible that the sermon was of great benefit to some while others didn’t think it was so hot. Gathered on a Sunday morning is a wide mixture of people, backgrounds and needs. Some will be there no matter what. Come storms, high water, or snow, you’ll find some folks there. Others, it’s a toss up. If they aren’t too tired, busy or having projects to work on, they just might be there.

Some gather as believers. They love the Lord. They know His word. They have been walking with the Lord for a long, long time. They love sermons. They love to hear the word preached. Near and dear to their hearts are fond memories of sermons and preachers from long ago. For others, their journey is rather new. There are still many things they are learning. They love the Lord and want to grow deeper and stronger in faith. Sermons are one tool that helps accomplish that. Yet, for others, their commitment isn’t as strong. They love the Lord, but they struggle often with temptation and they have as many questions as they do answers. And, for still others, they are curious. They haven’t made a commitment to the Lord. They come because a friend has invited them. There are only a few things that they know. They like the people. They like the smiles and the fellowship. But they do not understand what it means to be a Christian.

So, in this great mixture of people, the preacher is challenged to find something that will be beneficial, helpful to the people. The preacher must keep all of these people in mind. Simple terms and concepts must be explained. Bible stories that many know, are not known by all. The preacher realizes that he is not delivering a college lecture. He is doing more than passing along facts and information. His role is to persuade people to follow Christ. Strengthening faith, building hope and trust, and explaining Scriptures is the means to accomplish all of this.

Beneficial sermons. Sermons that warned and later people remembered those warnings and were kept safe, is helpful and beneficial. Sermons that drove out fear and worry by showing the greatness of God is of great benefit. Sermons that challenged those who are complacent and lukewarm and led them to be servants is of great benefit. Sermons that showed a lost soul how to find the loving God and forgiveness is of great benefit.

Because a particular sermon didn’t help me, doesn’t mean that no one was helped. We must remember that we are all at different places on this spiritual journey. Some are ahead of us. Some are beside us. Others are behind us. What helps one, may not help another at that moment, but it is beneficial.

I have also found through the years that people like different things in sermons. We preachers tend to save our best sermons to take on the road. Most sermons are preached only one time and that’s it. They are stuck away in a file cabinet, never to be used again. Hours were poured into that sermon. Words were looked at carefully. Passages were studied. Time was put into making a power point presentation and for some, even notecards. A lot of thought went into that one sermon. It’s preached. Then it’s over. Did it do any good? Only time will tell.

Sermons are like eating food or even the falling rain. Does it do good? Certainly. Do we remember it? Sometimes, but most times not. But the good it has done is shown in life. That rain waters the fields and the plants. It brings life to those seeds in the ground. In time, a harvest will come. The farmer sees what happens when there has been very little rain. It’s noticed. The same goes for our eating. Three meals a day. Snacks in between. That food builds muscles and helps us to stay healthy and grow. Do we remember all the meals? No. There are certain places and certain meals that stand out. But day after day, it does the work necessary to keep us alive. We notice when we are off our food. Somethings not right and we must seek a doctor.

In a similar way, this is how sermons are. I have preached a lot of sermons. I don’t remember them all. Some I liked. Some I didn’t. Some helped me more than it helped the audience. Some changed because of those words I preached. Some were remembered. I meet people and they remembered things I have said. They remembered and I didn’t. They quote me and I don’t remember. It must have been beneficial.

What I need and what you need is to be told the truth. We need the truth to be told in love. We need to be shown Jesus. We need the Scriptures opened. We need to hear what God says. We need to see ourselves as God sees us.

Don’t ever give up on sermons. Don’t get to the point that you think that we don’t need them. Don’t believe for one second that you have outgrown them. The religious community would rather watch a play than listen to a sermon. They’d rather have a video than a sermon. They want God to pat them on their little heads and tell them that they are awesome. They want short sermons that is minus warnings, doctrines and any mention of judgment, Hell or changing. What they get today, is laughter, jokes, one-liners and the theology of cotton candy. Cotton candy looks amazing. You don’t even have to chew it. It just melts in your mouth. It tastes great. But after working all day in the yard, you don’t want a plate full of cotton candy. You want some substance. Meat and potatoes is what you long for. Cotton candy makes you feel good and cotton candy sermons are popular, but it doesn’t help when the storms of life come crashing in around you.

We need sermons that help. We need beneficial sermons. Sometimes they come in the form of reproving, rebuking and exhorting. But if that has helped us, God bless the man of God who took the time to give what we needed. Beneficial sermons.

I think I’ll be adding that to my prayer before I preach. “Help me, Lord, to preach beneficial sermons.”

Roger

Jump Start # 1994

2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”

I was reading about President Garfield the other day. His fellowship was within the Christian Church/churches of Christ. He was a preacher before the Civil War and frequently worshipped with congregations when traveling. On one occasion, he took his wife and daughter to a Sunday worship. In his journal, he wrote that the preacher “didn’t have much juice in his sermon.” I’m not real sure what “juice” meant to Garfield, but it sounds like fervor, passion, enthusiasm and being on top of what he is saying.

Sermons need juice. They are more than lectures. They are not just giving facts. They are storming the will with persuasion, reason and practical conclusions. The audience ought to know what to do with the sermon once it is over. Filling the head but not the heart will do little to change people. Sermons can be so vague, general and without practical use that they become of no use. Add some juice!

The business of writing a sermon is interesting. Each preacher goes at it in his own way. A thought becomes a major idea. Homework is done. Verses, words and backgrounds are researched. Words are scribbled on paper or in these times, typed out on a computer. Ideas come. Application and illustrations are plugged in. For some, this is a smooth and easy process. They sit down and everything flows easily and in a couple of hours it’s finished. On to other things. Others work at it and tinker with the sermon all week long. Some are never completely satisfied with it. It’s a week long project.

Writing a sermon, for some is nothing more than jotting down a few words. Others, it’s a manuscript, pages long. Some engage in the process, much like a composer writing a piece for the symphony, the idea begins with an interesting introduction. It builds around a central theme, a text, a passage becomes the skeleton of the sermon which will support everything else said. Clear points are found. One. Two. Three. Four. They all fit together, like puzzle pieces. The sermon becomes so clear in the mind of the preacher. As he reads, listens and goes about other things throughout the week, we finds more things to add to the sermon. He pours his all into that sermon. He makes it his best. Then comes working it up to the copy he will take to the pulpit.

Some memorize their sermons. Some will just take a few lines on a note card. Others will take detailed outlines with them. It’s all a matter of style and what works for that preacher. There is no correct way. When Paul told Timothy to preach the word, he didn’t tell him how to do that. He didn’t say preach, but don’t use notes. He didn’t say preach long or short. He simply said, preach the word. We come to that passage with our own style, ideas and abilities. Through the years, that style gets modified and changes. And then they go preach. They preach often with a lot on their minds. They preach wanting the words that they have worked on to be memorable and to make positive changes. They preach hoping someone will come to Christ. They preach hoping to save a dying marriage. They preach hoping to turn hearts away from the world and back to Christ. They preach trying to motivate people to be servants of Christ. They preach often to audiences who will not change. They preach before crowds who are there only because they have to be there. They preach to those who love the Lord and have hearts that are pleasing Christ. The audiences are mixed. The audiences have different levels of knowledge, interest and purpose. The audiences have suffered all kinds of emotional struggles. There are people grieving. There are people who are upset. There are people who are lonely. There people who are scared. There are people who are proud. There are people who are angry. There are people who need to forgive, but they won’t. There are people who need to apologize but they won’t. There are families with prodigals. There are families worshipping while dad is at home in bed. There are divorced. There are those in love. There are those who are facing their world crashing in financially. There are people who spent the night before doing wrong. There are people who are solid, strong and spiritual. What an audience. What a crowd.

Each week the preacher begins with what to preach to these people. This is where it all begins. A thought. A passage. A word. Something sticks. Something impresses the preacher. Something captures his attention. This would help the audience. This would make a difference. And once that has been settled, off he goes, thinking, writing and constructing that sermon. It may be a masterpiece, but it may bring little results. This is what they need, the preacher thinks. But nothing happened. Did he have “juice” in the sermon? Sunday passes and a new week dawns. It’s time to start the process all over again. What will it be this week?

Probably the most asked question throughout my life as a preacher has been, “Where do you get your ideas?” Even my family asks that. I sometimes say, “Sermons.com” but they know better. I don’t even know if that is a true website. It comes from the mind, the heart, the listening ears, the open eyes of the preacher. Some weeks, it’s easy. Some weeks it’s very hard. There is an old expression that preachers understand, “Nothing inspires the preacher more than the rise of Sunday morning’s sun.” Deadline. You gotta have it ready to go. Some weeks there are a lot of things going on. Interruptions. Funerals. Travel. Even holidays tend to break up the process. Sunday comes and folks want a sermon, whether it’s Christmas or not. It doesn’t matter what kind of week the preacher has had, Sunday’s coming.

Given enough time, just about any Christian man can get up and say a few things. But to do it powerfully, week after week—I find that it takes a special person and a rare talent to do that. It’s like an artist. Sure, many of us can draw. But can we make a living at it. It’s like being a writer. Sure, put down some thoughts on paper. But to do that over and over and over.

I wanted to share these thoughts with those that do not preach. I want you to see what it takes to develop a sermon. The phone rings in the preacher’s office. He has books spread out, papers everywhere and on the phone the person asks, “Are you busy?” With a smile, the preacher kindly says, “How can I help you?” He knows once he is off the phone, he has to find that thought and that link that he was developing into a sermon. Sometimes that thought is gone. Sometimes he must start over. He understands.

Those of us that preach, we have chosen this life. Those that are really good at it, and there are many, they have mastered this special and unique art of crafting sermons week after week. Through their work, God’s word has filled hearts. Congregations and families are stronger and closer to the Lord because of the dedicated work that these men do. After a few years, they know it would be so easy to just throw a few verses together, add a couple of stories and be done with it. But they can’t do that. Their conscience will not allow that. Each sermon becomes another masterpiece. Hours are poured into shaping that sermon just right. They write with you in their minds. They want a better you. They want you to walk in righteousness with the Lord.

Ole’ Garfield noticed that juice was missing from the sermon he listened to. Garfield used to preach. Preachers know.

So, hold back on saying, “You only work a couple of hours a week.” The preacher will laugh with you, but he wonders if you even have a clue. Most have little idea about what it takes to bring a sermon from start to finish, nor the hours that are poured into it, but the end result is what is important. The word is preached.

Preach the word, preacher! Get busy, Sunday’s coming.

Roger

Jump Start # 1747

2 Timothy 4:2 “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” 

  We conclude our week long look at how Satan tempts a church. It would be good for preachers and shepherds to give serious thought to this topic. Lower the nets with your thinking. Think deep. If we are clueless to what Satan is doing, he’ll run circles around us. Be on the alert means we have our eyes on him. We’re watching. The peace and health of a congregation is not something that ought to be assumed nor taken for granted. What takes years and years to accomplish can be overturned and destroyed in a matter of days. Tearing down is a lot easier than building. I was building blocks with my two-year old granddaughter the other day. I made a tower taller than she was, carefully placing each block on the next. She came over and in an instant knocked the entire tower flat. It can take several months to build a home. One storm, one fire can destroy that home in an hour. Spiritually, destruction can wipe out years of building. Shepherds must recognize this and be watchful.

Our study has taken a look at:

Tired of the old and fascinated with the new

Indifference

Leaderless leaders

Carnally minded

And we end with talking about the preaching of God’s word. Satan recognizes the power of God’s word. It is through the word of God that faith is built. A faith can be so strong that it can withstand the storms of life.  When Satan tempted Eve, he added a word to what God said. When he tempted Jesus, he misapplied a passage. Used correctly, God’s word will overcome Satan.

The word of God has the power to change hearts and convert a soul

The word of God removes doubt, drives worry and fear away and builds assurance and confidence

The word of God comforts, even those who are mourning

The word of God corrects and warns

The word of God displays God’s will and His plans for us

The word of God shows us Jesus

The word of God strengthens our soul

The word of God gives us hope

The word of God challenges us and motivates us to obey God and to become

The word of God equips us to overcome temptation

We need God’s word in our lives. We need God’s word taught and preached. The preaching of God’s word is something that is very dear to the heart of God. People like Noah were preachers of God’s word. Prophets, apostles, elders, and preachers were all teachers of God’s word.

To the delight of Satan, many places have given up on the preaching of God’s word. Preaching has been replaced with video feeds from current movies, comedy skits and dramatic plays. The audience laughs. The audience is brought to tears. The audience leaves having a great time. But the audience does not know the word of God. Choices are not Biblically based. Lives do not reflect the righteousness that God wants. What is missing is the depth of God’s word in the hearts of the people.

Satan will do all that he can to keep the word of God from our hearts. He will get us to be shallow in our thinking and wanting our ears tickled. Tell us, not what we need to hear, but rather, what we want to hear. We don’t want to change, so don’t go that direction. Make us laugh. Make us feel good. Make us happy. Do this, and you’ll be our preacher. That’s what Satan wants.

The preacher is not being a friend to the audience when he is tickling ears. He may be popular. The people may love him. They may pay him a king’s salary but he is not doing the work of God when he does that.

Sermons that are dry, dull and impractical and are more college lectures than persuading the hearts, do not help the audience. The information may be correct and even good, but is it what the people need at the moment? Lifeless sermons that have no passion in them will never move an audience that is bored and content to sit on the sidelines of life. Sermons must connect. Sermons must move people. Sermons must be relevant, practical and useful. What good is the sermon on a Thursday afternoon? The preacher ought to think about that.

The preacher needs to get out of the office and be with the people. He needs to hear and see what is going on in their lives. He needs to see what is bothering them and what they are struggling with. From that, he can build useful lessons that will deal with worry, fear, and temptation.

Sermons that pass right through our ears without landing will never change us. Satan knows that. He’ll be satisfied with you listening to sermons as long as they are not useful nor challenging you to change. Heads full of information that lack the drive to live the life that God wants is of little good when the storms of life come upon us.

It’s hard to imagine that Satan can use a sermon to tempt a church. He can and he does. Sermons that are out of touch, lacking compassion and kindness, and do more harm than good will accomplish just what he wants.

So, Mr. Preacher, take a long look at what you are preaching. Is it what the folks need? It is presented as Jesus would? Are you trying to help the people or destroy them?

Lifeless sermons ought to be buried in unmarked graves. If the preacher can’t get excited about his message, then how can the audience get excited? Bored preachers, preaching boring sermons to a bored audience is certain death to a church. And with that, only Satan smiles.

It’s time to do better. It’s time to expect better. Get into that Bible and preach…

Roger