The Foolishness of Preaching...
Am I PREACHING or Am I SERMONIZING???????
I couldn't agree with Pam more...
Approximately over a year ago, I wrote the following blog on preaching.
This is a question each preacher needs to ask themselves:
My updated corrections are in parenthesis:
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1 Corinthians 1:18-21
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Preaching...
We as ministers of the gospel know all about it. Even those we label as laity know about preaching. We know all types of preaching. We know the hoop. The holler. The in between, asthma-like huffs and puffs in between phrases or sentences. We get excited over it. We dance over it. We shout and rejoice. The desired result of preaching, according to the Word of the Lord, is to save souls. I could be wrong, but I don't see anywhere in scripture that tells us to preach to saved folks, but to instruct, to edify, or grow the saints up in the things of God.
If we want to encourage the saints, the Word tells us to speak to each other 'in spiritual songs and psalms:
Ephesians 5:19
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord...
If we want to edify one another, grow the saints up, the Word tells us to teach and admonish one another-again with 'psalms, hymns, & spiritual songs...'
Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
The Word does not say to preach to saved folks. Preach to unsaved folks; teach, admonish, speak to, rebuke, reprove the saints!
Ministers...
Just think about it. This may be why the souls are not growing. You've been preaching to them for 20 years. Preaching (sermonizing, using Pam's term) them happy. Preaching (sermonizing) them sad. Preaching (sermonizing) them prosperity. Preaching (sermonizing) them strange doctrines. Preaching (sermonizing) everything...why are you preaching salvation to saved folks?
I was listening to this very popular woman preacher (heck, I will post her name: it was Cindy Trimm). She was preaching, but it was in a religious setting. So I hit play. I will admit: I was somewhat annoyed at her preaching in cadence and all...
"And the Lord say...HA!
"Repent for the Kingdom of God...HA!
"..is at hand....HA!"
As she continued, on her rant for about 40 minutes, I grew very aggravated. Not because what she was saying wasn't true, but because of the preaching in cadence, and the organist playing behind her. But I hung in there..I hung in there until, while preaching in cadence, she bust out...
"...that's not my key!..."
'No she didn't! No she didn't preach to the organist to take the key up one notch!'
The organist complied and took the key up one notch!
I immediately turned the message off, in utter shock at what I just heard!
Now, I don't know about anyone else. But I found all the theatrics behind the message quite distracting. What Trimm was saying could have been very relevant, very powerful (but I doubt it). And very true...but the organist playing behind her, and her "HA!" she exclaimed every 5 words was-quite frankly-getting on my nerves!
I have preached sermons, and I had to tell the organist to stop playing behind me because he was distracting from the message, and was NOT playing under the anointing! (And what's more shocking is that the organist was my OWN father! He didn't speak to me for a minute after that message!)
Now I write what I write not just because of an annoyance or a preference of mine. It is an admonition for preachers to take a good hard look at the fruit of what they've been doing for years. We have to ask ourselves-at some point-why do we do the things we do...in the church? Is it relevant? Effective? What are the results?
We have preached all these sermons, in all kinds of styles. With the best musicians playing behind us. But what good has it done? Really!
Let's be real about it.
No one's getting saved at (church) altars; the ones at the altars are the same ones who been going to the altar for years. I can talk about it cuz I was a professional altar seeker! I used to snot and cry all over the place. I laid out all over the floor. Shouted. Danced. Screamed to the top of my lungs...out of sincerity.
Really believing I was delivered, when the preaching had done nothing more than emotionally move me, excite me.
Really believing I was delivered, when the preaching had done nothing more than emotionally move me, excite me.
Preachers...the saints don't need to hear another sermon from us. They need to be taught!
And, as you can see with Pam and I citing our examples of sermonizing by Trimm and Jakes, preachers need NOT imitate the styles of their favorite preacher of the month either! Because most of them are sermonizing and spreading doctrines of devils!
What do they need to be taught? SALVATION. DELIVERANCE. THE KINGDOM OF GOD!!!
It is only when the TRUE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST IS PREACHED that we will rid the altars of professional altar seekers and the unsaved, unregenerated souls WILL GET SAVED AND DELIVERED!
Let's know when to preach, when to teach.
The only time we see the word 'preached' used in the Bible is when the audience was UNSAVED. When the apostles spoke to those who were saved, the Word says they taught them, they instructed, they expounded, they rebuked, they reproved...
Do ur homework...
Let's get back to using the foolishness of preaching...the Bible's way.
I encourage you to study that whole chapter of 1 Corinthians 1. It will change your whole perspective on preaching.
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