Are You Preaching From An Island?

Posted on 15. May, 2010 by frank in faith, leadership

Confession time. Sometimes when pastors preach, we feel like we are on an island and there is no one actually listening.  We get little or no response from the church, and we can almsot feel like what we’re doing is pointless.  It kind of feels like we are stranded on an island in the middle of a lake.  We can see people on the far shore all around us, but for some reason it doesn’t seem like they can hear what we’re saying.  I’ve seen pastors try to fix this problem a number of different ways:

• They scream louder – if I can preach screaming louder maybe they will hear me and actually listen! (This actually scares people away from the shore, especially the new people who need to hear the message the most.)
• They change the message – if I can tell them something they want to hear maybe they will listen? (When this happens it’s a catastrophy.  God already provided the message through the scriptures and He doesn’t want us to change it.  We can change our methods but NOT the message.)
• They try to be someone they’re not – if I preach like John Ortberg (or insert preacher’s name here) people will listen.  (God created me to be who I am and wired me with different passions and skills than John Ortberg.  Find a passage of scripture you’re passionate about, put in the hours of study needed and teach the congregation what God shows you through your hard work. It doesn’t mean you  can’t use John or other great preachers you admire for inspiration, but don’t try to be someone you’re not.)

I think we often find ourselves wanting to blame the listener when in reality we need to look in the mirror. There are a few key ingredients that I attempt to focus on when crafting a sermon:

1. Personal Connection: As a speaker I need to utilize my own experiences and be willing to be authentic with those that show up on Sunday.  God selected YOU to be a preacher for a reason, that means He believes you have something to offer that is unique.  Use your life and everyday experiences to help tell God’s story.

2. Biblical Truth: The Bible is the source of our teaching.  It needs to be our go-to book for truth, not the opinion page in the New York Times, or a talking head on Fox News or CNN.  Sometimes as preachers we can get so caught up in storytelling that we neglect staying focused on the scripture.

3. Relevance: I can’t tell you how many sermons that I’ve heard that sounded more like a list of scripture references from a topical Bible instead of a well-crafted teaching that provides the listener with something that they didn’t have prior to walking through the door.  As preachers we need to do our best to think of who might actually be sitting in the seat on Sunday morning.  Every time I sit down to write I think of two people.  First, I think of the believer, what can I present about this passage that will provide the seasoned Christian with something they didn’t know before?  Second, I think of the non-Christian, what can I say that will help them get one step closer to Jesus?

I don’t think preaching will ever become an easy task, and I’m not expecting it to be simple.  However, as I continue to pray and seek God in writing I hope to remain fresh, consistent, relevant, and most of all true to scripture.