1. Challenges to Preaching
Preaching is indispensable to Christianity because Christianity is based on the truth that God chose to use words to reveal himself to humanity. First, he spoke through his prophets, interpreting his actions in the history of Israel and instructing them to convey his message to his people in speech and writing. Then he spoke in his Son when “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14) and through his Son’s words, spoken either directly or through his apostles. Thirdly, he speaks by his Spirit through his servants who preach in his name (Luke 24:47-49). The word of God is thus scriptural, incarnate and contemporary. This point is fundamental to Christianity.
God’s speech makes our speech necessary. We are called to pass on the message we have heard to others. We must speak what he has spoken or, in other words, we must preach.
This emphasis of preaching is unique to Christianity. While every religion has its teachers, many of whom teach with authority and charisma, they are all essentially expounding ancient traditions and ethics. Only Christian preachers claim to be heralds proclaiming good news from God and dare to think of themselves as ambassadors or representatives speaking “the very words of God” (1 Pet. 4:11).
The importance of preaching has been recognized throughout church history (see Appendix 1). Yet we are told by some that the day of preaching is over and that preaching is a dying art and an outmoded form of communication. These lies have silenced and demoralized preachers. So it is worth our while to look at three contemporary trends that challenge our belief in preaching. They are a general hostility to all authority, the electronic revolution, and a loss of confidence in the gospel.
Hostility to Authority
Ever since the Fall, people have been “hostile to God” and unwilling (even unable!) to “submit to God’s law” (Rom. 8:7). This basic fact about the human condition has shown itself in a thousand ugly ways. Today, however, this attitude is particularly pronounced and all accepted authorities (family, school, university, state, church, pope, Bible, God) are being challenged worldwide. Some of this rebellion is justified, for it is a responsible and mature protest against authoritarianism and dehumanization in politics, business, education, religion and other areas of society. But Christians must be careful to distinguish between true and false authority; between the tyranny which crushes humanity and the rational, benevolent authority under which we find our authentic human freedom.
As people have won greater freedom from institutions, the target for hostility has shifted to ideas. No idea is unchallenged. It is assumed that everyone has a right to their own opinions, which may not be challenged by anyone, let alone a preacher. Some have even gone so far as to describe sermons as acts of violence against listeners. They question the right of preachers to stand before others, claiming to speak for God.
These attitudes have led some to argue that instead of regarding the congregation as a flock to be fed, a preacher should see them as customers and use the sermon to help them solve their spiritual problems. This type of consumer-oriented preaching dominates North American pulpits and has been exported around the world. The pew now sets the agenda for the pulpit. The sermon’s starting point is usually a problem for which the Bible (or some other source) provides a solution. Audience analysis (knowing our listeners) — though vital — now often displaces the careful study of the Bible.
The practice of letting listeners set the agenda for preaching has been reinforced by the widely-held view that there is no objective truth; everything is subjective. Something only becomes true if it resonates with me. This means that the final say about what a passage means rests on individuals whose personal stories resonate with it. If what is said does not fit with the experience of an individual or a community, it is rejected. This attitude undermines the authority of the biblical text. Final authority no longer rests with Scripture but with those reading or hearing it. No wonder so many listeners resist submitting to biblical sermons! They have come to believe that they are the reason sermons are preached and that their experiences — personal and communal — take primacy over the Bible and its claims.
Unfortunately, preachers often reinforce these assumptions by designing sermons and worship services that exalt the listener at the expense of Scripture. Although he was writing in 1950, Cranfield’s words still ring true today:
It is a pathetic feature of contemporary church life that there are still plenty in the pews who clamour for shorter and lighter sermons and bright and easy services and not a few in the pulpits prepared to pander to popular taste. There’s a vicious circle: superficial congregations make superficial pastors, and superficial pastors make superficial congregations.
Should we allow ourselves to be stampeded into abandoning preaching? Or should we merely become more dogmatic, repeating our beliefs and statements in an ever-louder voice? Neither of those approaches is effective. So how should we react to this trend?
First, we need to remember the Christian understanding of human nature. We were created by God to be morally responsible and free. We cannot therefore accept either licence (which denies responsibility) or slavery (which denies freedom). The mind is free only under the authority of truth, and the will under the authority of righteousness.
Secondly, we need to remember the doctrine of revelation. Our beliefs are not something we invented. They were revealed by God. We can thus proclaim the gospel with quiet confidence as good news from God.
Thirdly, we need to remember that our authority to preach does not come from our appointment as preachers, nor from the church that ordained us, but from the word of God. If we make this clear, people should be willing to hear, particularly if we show that we ourselves desire to live under biblical authority. One way of doing this is to avoid the introductory formula, “Thus says the Lord”, for we do not have the authority of the inspired Old Testament prophets. Nor should we use our Lord’s formula “I tell you” (Matt. 5:22, 28, 32, etc.), as though we have the authority of Jesus Christ or his apostles. Rather, we should use the words “we” and “us” to indicate that we preach nothing to others that we do not preach to ourselves. Authority and humility are not mutually exclusive.
Fourthly, we need to remember the relevance of the gospel. When we present the gospel in a way that shows that it is reasonable and relevant, it carries its own authority and authenticates itself.
Fifthly, we need to remember that a true sermon is not a monologue. True preaching is always a dialogue. This does not mean that it involves a debate between two preachers or heckling from the listeners (even though that might enliven the proceedings!). Rather, it involves a silent dialogue between the preacher and the hearers. The preacher should provoke questions in their minds, and then proceed to answer them. The answer should raise further questions, which should also be addressed.
One of the greatest gifts a preacher needs is a sensitive understanding of people and their problems so as to be able to anticipate their reactions. We should not preach on the providence of God who “in all things . . . works for the good of those who love him” (Rom. 8:28) without showing an awareness of evil and pain. We should not preach on marriage and forget the single people in the congregation, or on Christian joy and forget the sorrows and tragedies some will be experiencing. We cannot expound Christ’s promise to answer prayer without remembering that some prayers remain unanswered, or his command not to be anxious without acknowledging that people have good reasons for anxiety. To anticipate people’s objections is to cover our flanks against counter-attack.
This type of dialogue between speaker and listeners is often evident in Scripture (e.g. Mal. 1:12; 2:17; 3:8). Jesus used it (Luke 10:36; John 13:12), and so did the Apostle Paul (Rom. 3:1-6). We also find it in the preaching of men like Martin Luther and Billy Graham. What we need is the ability to
out-do the Communist technique of “double-think” and do a Christian “quadruple-think”. “Quadruple-thinking” is thinking out what I have to say, then thinking out how the other man will understand what I say, and then re-thinking what I have to say, so that, when I say it, he will think what I am thinking! . . . “Quadruple-thinking” involves mental pain and great spiritual sensitivity.
Painful as it is, this approach lessens the offence that authoritative preaching would otherwise give.
The Electronic Age
The past fifty years have seen radical changes in methods of communication, and these have had a profound effect on the church. The effects are felt worldwide, even in locations where electronic media have not yet penetrated deeply.
One set of changes affect those to whom we preach. In the electronic age, people have become physically lazy and question why they need to go out to church when they can worship at home by watching a service on the television or on the Web. They have become intellectually uncritical, wanting to be entertained, rather than made to think. People have also become emotionally insensitive. We witness the horrors of war, famine and poverty, but have become skilled in emotional self-defence, distancing ourselves from others’ pain. And we have become psychologically confused. We find it difficult to switch from the unreal, crafted world of cyberspace to the real world where we can hear and worship God. Finally, people have become morally disordered. We have been conned into thinking that the type of behaviour we see on the screen is acceptable, and that “everybody does it”.
The electronic age also affects us as preachers. Satellite technology has allowed preachers to broadcast globally, and such broadcasts are too easily taken as representing the ideal for which all preachers should strive. We may find ourselves attempting to copy famous preachers without regard to how their techniques and style suit our own personalities, situations and gifts. Or we may decide to preach a sermon we downloaded from the Web, or ask the congregation to watch a sermon by a famous preacher projected on a screen. All of these things can break the communication that should exist between the preacher and the congregation. A sermon preached elsewhere is not addressed to this particular group of listeners, for the preacher cannot see them and observe and react to their responses.
Our faith in the importance of preaching may also be shaken by the visual input of television. Public speaking in the West no longer predominantly features a speaker addressing a crowd from a lectern or pulpit. Instead we see talk-show hosts roaming a television studio and newsreaders seated behind a desk, apparently looking at us — but actually reading from a Teleprompter. The image of the newsreader alternates with video clips illustrating the events being reported. What we hear are sound bites, which may be memorable but which just as often cater to superficiality. A sermon may feel like a very old-fashioned form of communication.
Those who lack access to advanced technology may become discouraged, thinking that without these tools they cannot preach adequately. Visiting preachers using laptops and PowerPoint presentations may unthinkingly convey that this is standard practice. Humble preachers from remote locations receive an unintended and false message: electronic devices are needed for effective preaching.
How shall we respond to this avalanche of technological advances?
First, let us thank our sovereign Creator for giving us the ability to make tools that can take his word to all nations. In the early church, his word was spread when persecution scattered believers, who “preached the word wherever they went” (Acts 8:1-4). Now radio, television and the Web can be used to spread the good news in regions that cannot easily be reached in other ways.
Secondly, we must pray for wisdom and discernment in the use of the tools that are available to us. The fact that they exist does not mean that we must use them. Paul’s words to Timothy also apply to those of us who are rich in technology:
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1 Tim. 6:17-19)
We must trust God, not our computers, projectors and amplifiers (all of which can crash or lead us into temptation). We should thank God for technology, but not rely on it, and we must be willing to share our tools and our learning, looking to God for real treasure and life.
Thirdly, our use of technology as an aid to preaching must not violate or compromise what Scripture teaches. For instance, hearing God’s word should always lead to heeding God’s word. Such obedience opens the door to a growing knowledge of God (Col. 1:10). So we must avoid using tools merely to make concepts from the Bible easier to grasp; they must also move us towards the faith that leads to obedience (Rom. 1:5; 16:26).
God himself supplies the best visual aids. He wants the pastor to be a visual aid to the congregation (Titus 2:7; 1 Tim. 4:12). He also wants the congregation to be a visual aid to the watching world, indeed to the whole universe (Matt. 5:16; Eph. 3:10-11). Virtual images projected on screens are no substitute for real people and loving communities. In a dehumanized society, the fellowship of the local church becomes increasingly important as members meet and talk and listen to one another in person. The best transformational learning (learning that fosters faith and increases obedience to God) happens in community.
Although it is good to seek God’s face individually (2 Cor. 4:6), isolated believers may not always get the whole picture. We need to hear what others in the body of Christ have to say. Paul’s prayer for the church (Eph. 3:14-19) underscores this corporate dimension:
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you [plural] with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Finally, it is important to remember that preaching and worship cannot be divorced. The fact that they are so often separated today accounts for the low level of much contemporary worship. All worship is an intelligent and loving response to the revelation of God. Our worship is poor because our knowledge of God is poor; our knowledge of God is poor because our preaching is poor. But when the word of God is expounded in all its fullness, and the congregation begins to glimpse the glory of the living God, they bow down in solemn awe. It is preaching which accomplishes this. That is why preaching is unique and irreplaceable.
But if our preaching is dull, drab, dowdy, slow or monotonous, we cannot compete in today’s world. We have to make our presentation of the truth attractive through variety, colour, illustration, humour and fast-flowing movement.
The Church’s Loss of Confidence in the Gospel
To preach means to assume the role of a herald or town crier and to publically proclaim a message. This presupposes that we have something to say. Without a clear and confident message, preaching is impossible. Yet this is what the church seems to lack nowadays.
There is no chance of a recovery of preaching without a prior recovery of conviction. We need to regain our confidence in the truth, relevance and power of the gospel so that we can say with Paul,
I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you . . . I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. (Rom. 1:15-16)
We need to get excited about this again. The gospel is good news from God!
The first step in recovering our Christian confidence involves being able to distinguish between assurance, conviction, presumption and bigotry. Conviction and assurance indicate that one is convinced by adequate evidence or argument that something is true. Presumption is a premature assumption of a truth, a confidence resting on inadequate or unexamined foundations. Bigotry is both blind and obstinate; bigots close their eyes to the data and cling to untested and unproven opinions. Presumption and bigotry are incompatible with any serious concern for truth and with worship of the God of truth.
Some degree of Christian conviction and assurance is reasonable. Christianity is grounded in good historical evidence, namely the witness of the writers of the New Testament. The verbs “to know” and “believe” and “be persuaded” are liberally sprinkled throughout the New Testament. Faith and confidence are regarded as normal in the Christian experience. Indeed, the apostles and evangelists often tell their readers that the purpose of what they are writing is “that you may know” or “that you may believe” (Luke 1:1-4; John 20:31; 1 John 5:13). “Full assurance” and “conviction” are meant to characterize our approach to God in prayer and our proclamation of Christ to the world (Heb. 10:22; 1 Thess. 1:5). A Christian asks questions, probes problems, confesses ignorance, feels perplexity, but does so within the context of a profound and growing confidence in the reality of God and of his Christ.
We need, secondly, to recognize that the questions others ask about our faith are real and important. They cannot be thoughtlessly dismissed, but must be carefully faced and answered. We may not agree with all the suggested answers, but we have no quarrel with the questions.
Thirdly, we need to encourage Christian scholars as they seek answers to tough questions. This can be lonely work. They need our prayers and fellowship as they wrestle with the tension between openness to new ideas and commitment to Christ. They need to be encouraged to accept some measure of accountability to one another and responsibility for one another in the body of Christ.
Finally, we need to pray more persistently and expectantly for grace from the Holy Spirit of truth. Christian understanding is not possible without his enlightenment, nor is Christian assurance possible without his witness. Honest enquiry and supportive fellowship are crucial, but ultimately only God can convince us about God. Our greatest need, as the Reformers kept insisting, is the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Christians believe that the living God is the Lord of history. We should ask him to push back the forces of unbelief and thank him for what he is doing already around the world.
We have considered three challenges to preaching today. Distrust of authority makes people unwilling to listen. Electronic advances have changed the expectations of both listeners and preachers. The atmosphere of doubt makes many preachers too tentative. But it is time to remember that attack is the best form of defence.