• Home
  • About This Blog
  • Contact Me
  • Subscribe
  • Comment Policy

Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series
Home Christianity and Culture Preaching with impact

Preaching with impact

Posted on August 25, 2012 Written by Mark McIntyre 4 Comments


Reading and article by J. S. Park subtitled, “The Difference Between a Speech And a Sermon,” got me thinking of my own experience in hearing sermons.

The “A” List

Sword
Sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12)

I have had the privilege of sitting under the preaching of some of the men who would be on many people’s “Who’s Who” list of preachers. They are on the “A” list because they are knowledgeable, talented and have the gift of oratory. They know their Bibles and can tell stories which illustrate the meaning that they want to draw out of the Biblical text. They are good at their craft. They are like high-end chefs who prepare gourmet spiritual meals. These sermons are beautiful, presented well and tasty.

One the other hand, the preachers who have had the most impact upon my spiritual growth are not on this list. These preachers were not flashy, they were not always funny, but they always got to the core of the passage and brought it to me in a way that God could use to break through my nonsense and bring real change. As compared to the “A” list preachers, these presented meat and potatoes. Their sermons were not flashy, not elegant, but very nourishing.

The point of this is not to denigrate the “A” list preachers. They are great at what they do and by their popularity it appears that they help a lot of people. I enjoy listening to sermons presented by these men.

The Point

My point is that preaching does not have to be flashy, humorous, witty, or spellbinding to be effective. Switching back to the food analogy, we do not need gourmet food all the time. Basic home cooking serves better in the long run. We need preachers who will faithfully, week after week, bring the word of God to their people. For, it is the Word of God and the Word of God alone that will cause spiritual growth in the hearers (Hebrews 4:12).

Not every man who is called to preach will have the talent and personality to be an “A” list preacher. It is often the case that the preacher with less talent but a greater love of God will produce more lasting fruit.

The Standard

Preachers, do not feel that you are in competition with the “A” listers. Tune your ear to God’s word and bring it to your people. God will take care of the rest. Your job is to be faithful.

People, do not judge your pastor by comparing him to the preacher on your iPod or on the radio. Judge your pastor on whether he proclaims the truth of Scripture and leads you in fulfilling the two great commands to love God and love your neighbor.

Feel free to leave a comment with a shout-out to a preacher who has had a positive impact on your life.


Filed Under: Christianity and Culture, Preaching Tagged With: preacher, preaching, sermon, sword

About Mark McIntyre

A follower of Jesus Christ who shares observations about how Scripture should impact the church and the world. Mark is the original author and editor of Attempts at Honesty.

Follow Attempts at Honesty

Honesty in your Inbox

Anger

Slow to anger

Too often we misrepresent God by being quick to anger rather than slow. Many examples of harsh comments on blog posts and angry rants by those who claim to be Christian can be found on the internet.

On the importance of fellowship

Lately, I have run into a number of Christians who have dropped out of the habit of regular church attendance. Most of them have done so as a result of COVID-19 and churches being closed for “in-person” worship. It is so easy to do a live-stream service from the recliner with a cup of coffee […]

Putting on our “game face”

One of the things that I struggle with in church is the pressure that we feel to put on the churchy version of game face when we come on Sunday. If you’ve been in the church at all you probably know what I’m talking about. Game face is a look intended to convey that everything […]

Question 18

What is sinful about man’s fallen condition?

Malcolm Muggeridge has written, “The depravity of man is at once the most empirically verifiable reality but at the same time the most intellectually resisted fact.” One does not have to work very hard to find evidence that something is very broken in the world. If we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that there is something very broken inside of us.

A peron reading the Bible

On holy heartburn

We should be reading with expectation of learning how our involvement in the story will change us. We should be reading with expectation of learning the extent of God’s love for us. We should be reading with the expectation of getting a glimpse of what we will become when God finishes his work in us.

We should be reading with expectation of holy heartburn.

Post Series

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series
February 2023
SMTWTFS
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728 
« Jan    

Categories

Archives

Blogger Grid
Follow me on Blogarama

Copyright © 2023 · Focus Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in