Preaching God vs. Telling Jokes
I don't claim everything there is to know about preaching, but I am definitely strong in my convictions on how it should be done. My convictions are hopefully coming from the Bible. And hopefully the Bible is being preached. (I should note here: "hopefully the Bible is being preached accurately!) More often than not, the preaching in churches today is not based on the Bible. There are hints and mixtures of some spiritual truths, but many pastors today are preaching "feel good" sermons about how one can be a better co-worker or leader or lover or profiteer.
On Saturday I attended a little concert at a church followed by some teaching. The music part was right on and what followed with the preaching was "right off." The guy speaking was a well-known Christian preacher who I had heard was "incredible." The whole idea of church celebrities is wrong(and a current blog I am in the middle of writing), but I know that it exists to some degree. I had heard this guy's name before and everything I heard was how good of a preacher he was. As he began to maim John 8, I began to get really upset. Fortunately the people I were sitting with agreed with his decimation of the text and I was able to find some counsel with my peers.
As this guy taught he would read the text and then proceed with a series of jokes and funny voices. Outside of my little outcast pew, the entire church roared with laughter and hung on every word this man said. Somehow I ended up on the e-mail list for this church (you know how churches love that contact information!) and this is a portion of his e-mail in regards to the preacher's teaching which I received the following day: "If you missed hearing God speak through this guy.....wooooooo....blessing missed! It was an honor to do something like this and man I hope we can do this again real soon."
This preacher actually spent more time on his joke telling and comical voices than he did on the teaching of the Truth. Not to mention not one of us could figure out what he was trying to say. I know he is not the only guy doing this and that is why this is so troubling to me. Last year I heard a deacon at a church in Austin make this comment: "I have a friend who looks just like Arnold Schwarzenegger and who is so funny . . . he would be PERFECT as a Youth Pastor!" Huh? You see, we are so far away from Christ-centered, to God be the glory, biblical preaching that funny teachers who make cool sound effects are labeled as "great teachers."
When people walk away from a funny sermon how have we honored God? No conviction of sin arises. No humiliation before the Sovereign King takes place. No praise to God is given. The jokes are re-told and the "funny preacher" gets invited back next year.
In The Supremacy of God in Preaching by John Piper, he notes that the goal of all preaching is to glorify God. Got that? Glorify God. Not show off your oratory skills. Not pretend you are at Showtime at the Apollo. Not imitate silly voices. Glorify God. "Is this what people take away from worship nowadays-a sense of God? A note of sovereign grace, a theme of panoramic glory, the grand object of God's infinite Being? Do they enter for one hour in the week - not an excessive expectation - into an atmosphere of the holiness of God, which leaves its aroma upon their lives all week long?" (p. 25)
People need to know that our God reigns and that he is storing up terrible wrath and judgment for those who do not repent and call on the name of Jesus for mercy. Cottom Mather says that the goal of the preacher is to "restore the throne and dominion of God in the souls of men." God acts for His sake first. We need to gladly submit to His authority for this brings glory to our King. The gospel is glorious for God is glorified as sinners are set free.
Our preaching must reflect the glory of God, grounded by the cross of Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Let us stop laughing at the corny jokes and seek to make the preaching of the Word return to God being glorified.
"For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another."
-Isaiah 48:11
On Saturday I attended a little concert at a church followed by some teaching. The music part was right on and what followed with the preaching was "right off." The guy speaking was a well-known Christian preacher who I had heard was "incredible." The whole idea of church celebrities is wrong(and a current blog I am in the middle of writing), but I know that it exists to some degree. I had heard this guy's name before and everything I heard was how good of a preacher he was. As he began to maim John 8, I began to get really upset. Fortunately the people I were sitting with agreed with his decimation of the text and I was able to find some counsel with my peers.
As this guy taught he would read the text and then proceed with a series of jokes and funny voices. Outside of my little outcast pew, the entire church roared with laughter and hung on every word this man said. Somehow I ended up on the e-mail list for this church (you know how churches love that contact information!) and this is a portion of his e-mail in regards to the preacher's teaching which I received the following day: "If you missed hearing God speak through this guy.....wooooooo....blessing missed! It was an honor to do something like this and man I hope we can do this again real soon."
This preacher actually spent more time on his joke telling and comical voices than he did on the teaching of the Truth. Not to mention not one of us could figure out what he was trying to say. I know he is not the only guy doing this and that is why this is so troubling to me. Last year I heard a deacon at a church in Austin make this comment: "I have a friend who looks just like Arnold Schwarzenegger and who is so funny . . . he would be PERFECT as a Youth Pastor!" Huh? You see, we are so far away from Christ-centered, to God be the glory, biblical preaching that funny teachers who make cool sound effects are labeled as "great teachers."
When people walk away from a funny sermon how have we honored God? No conviction of sin arises. No humiliation before the Sovereign King takes place. No praise to God is given. The jokes are re-told and the "funny preacher" gets invited back next year.
In The Supremacy of God in Preaching by John Piper, he notes that the goal of all preaching is to glorify God. Got that? Glorify God. Not show off your oratory skills. Not pretend you are at Showtime at the Apollo. Not imitate silly voices. Glorify God. "Is this what people take away from worship nowadays-a sense of God? A note of sovereign grace, a theme of panoramic glory, the grand object of God's infinite Being? Do they enter for one hour in the week - not an excessive expectation - into an atmosphere of the holiness of God, which leaves its aroma upon their lives all week long?" (p. 25)
People need to know that our God reigns and that he is storing up terrible wrath and judgment for those who do not repent and call on the name of Jesus for mercy. Cottom Mather says that the goal of the preacher is to "restore the throne and dominion of God in the souls of men." God acts for His sake first. We need to gladly submit to His authority for this brings glory to our King. The gospel is glorious for God is glorified as sinners are set free.
Our preaching must reflect the glory of God, grounded by the cross of Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Let us stop laughing at the corny jokes and seek to make the preaching of the Word return to God being glorified.
"For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another."
-Isaiah 48:11
posted by billy newhouse at
5:08 PM
2 Comments:
As one of the "outcast" pew, I can attest to the horrible message given last Saturday. Not only did he decimate the few verses in John 8 he managed to get to, he didn't even finish the story. No thesis, no point, no moral, nothing concrete! Just conjecture on what Christ may have been writing in the sand.
HUH?!?
Billy, I agree with Piper because I think his stance is Biblical. Do you remember how I close my prayers at the softball games? I try to say something to the effect of "Lord, let us reflect your glory." I'm not sure anything was reflective Saturday night except that dude's shirt.
Praying for you. Blog on.
By
Jason M. Kates, At
9:23 PM
Do you think God is capable of getting his message through in spite of preachers? Don't take yourself so seriously, Whatever is must be God's will.
By
Anonymous, At
1:41 PM
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