The Death of Biblical Preaching The time is coming, says the Lord God, when I shall send famine on the land, not hunger for bread or thirst for water, but for hearing the word of the Lord--Amos 8:11. There is no lack of good preachers and sermons, but a lack of sermons that are meant to be Gods Word and are received as such ( Karl Barth). The church has a host of articulate preachers who are well-versed in so many areas, but the problem is that it lacks preachers who see their mission as the presentation of the very Word of God and who thereby subordinate their own ideas and plans for the church to the dictates of the living Christ. It also lacks congregations who flock to its services of worship primarily in order to hear the word of God from the mouths of their ministers. When the laity seek from their shepherds confirmations in their own opinions or lifestyle or a periodic spiritual uplift rather than the Word that both kills and makes alive (Deut. 32:30; 1 Sam 2:6), it is no wonder that the result is too often a compromised message from the pulpit. One may not blame the laity for this dismal state of affairs, however, for pastors, teachers and elders have for the most part abdicated their task of nurturing people on the Word of God. Ideally the sermon is an interpretation of the scriptural text, not an exhibition of superior knowledge or the demonstration of communication skills. Preaching, indeed the whole of worship, has for its object the glory of God and the regeneration of sinful humanity. It is also designed to equip the saints for service in the kingdom of God. As preachers of the Word of God we must always keep in mind that the truth of the gospel never becomes a possession of the church. The church does not hand out the gospel, but it bears witness to the gospel through the power of the Holy Spirit. However clearly and precisely the Gospel is preached, the divine incognito still remains. The pure, non-ecclesiastical Gospel is proclaimed by no human mouth (Karl Barth). At the same time, God may speak in conjunction with our speaking, and herein lies the hope of the church and of the world. We can really hear and know the Word of God, not through our own efforts and programs, but through the free condescension of a God of mercy and love. Sermons that are biblical will be, ipso facto, theological as well.
Posted on: Fri, 02 May 2014 08:14:35 +0000
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