“Teaching the content of Scripture, then, gives the believers under your care a framework within which they establish their whole belief system. And such teaching necessarily involves story narrative as well as doctrinal exposition. The stories are foundational to the doctrine. Nothing beats a balanced diet of the totality of Scripture.”
Bradford, James T. (2011-07-21). Preaching: Maybe It Is Rocket Science (Kindle Locations 207-214). Gospel Publishing House. Kindle Edition.
The news is out, an unbalanced diet or a diet filled with nutritionally empty but calorie rich foods is bad for your health! I would like to add a further note to that growing chorus applicable to pastors and churches. That is, if your preaching/teaching is not biblically balanced and rich in scripture content, you will be forced to pastor an increasingly unhealthy and sick congregation. They will not arrive at this overnight and it is very possible that the “creep” toward a state of unhealthiness may occur without much notice, until it culminates into illness. But rest assured it will come and the results are first of all a church that is lethargic.
“Iron poor blood.” is an old TV commercial phrase from childhood which lingers in my memory. When you have an iron deficiency, your symptoms may range from headaches and heart palpitations to lethargy and irritability. Could this be what is happening in many of our churches where there is little or no heart for evangelism, prayer is neglected and when spiritual and behavioral headaches appear to be in abundance?
What is the remedy? The meat of the word, of course! When the meat of the word is on the menu, then when people leave the service that is what they are talking about. If you are like me you never leave a Ruth Chris Steak house talking about the potato or the mushrooms! But in many of our churches today, the take away is not the Word but a film clip or some other eye catching side item that should never be central in worship. If I may be so bold, it seems that some have put more time in formulating a message title than studying and hearing from God so they have a real message!
Our first challenge then, in preaching toward health is that we Preach the Word! Let it inform everything you do on Sunday morning, pray until it comes alive in power in you and make it the central focus of your message!
No comments:
Post a Comment