Sermons Most Likely To Succeed
Just read an article in the latest issue of Rev Magazine. By the way, I love Rev Magazine. The title was "Sermons Most Likely to Succeed."
A study that involved 50+ pastors and 5000+ listeners found that the most successful sermons are built around a clearly stated change-based goal that emanates from Scripture. That is so simple and so basic, but such a good reminder for preachers. The best sermons challenge people to change. And help them identify next steps in that direction! It is the difference between information and transformation. Our sermons need to be more action-oriented and application-oriented.
Most of us are educated way beyond our level of obedience. We don't need more information. We need more transformation. We need to stop explaining what people already understand. A little less explanation. A lot more exhortation.
A study that involved 50+ pastors and 5000+ listeners found that the most successful sermons are built around a clearly stated change-based goal that emanates from Scripture. That is so simple and so basic, but such a good reminder for preachers. The best sermons challenge people to change. And help them identify next steps in that direction! It is the difference between information and transformation. Our sermons need to be more action-oriented and application-oriented.
Most of us are educated way beyond our level of obedience. We don't need more information. We need more transformation. We need to stop explaining what people already understand. A little less explanation. A lot more exhortation.
3 Comments:
Hey Mark -
First time commenting on your blog, but great post. I was just thinking about this last night (as a pastor on a major university campus filled with graduate degrees and academics).
I find most often that Christians who want "deeper" sermons (whatever that means...it means something different for every person!) are also the ones who are less likely to be loving others and serving the world because they are too focused on the fact that the pastor did not parse every word from the original language or did not wax eloquently about the grammatical-historical significance of the text for an hour.
I love theology, philosophy, church history etc., but the goal of preaching is not to fill disembodied, floating heads with more information; the goal of preaching is life transformation in ourselves for the sake of others and the world.
THERE!! Finally got it off my chest! lol...thanks for "listening" :)
Restless Pilgrim,
You stole the words out of my mouth :) Seriously, I think you've hit a pastoral nerve ending :)
Mark
Hey Mark,
I really dug what you had to say in this post. One of the most frequent things that my wife and I comment about the preaching at our church is that it teaches us about the Bible - but doesn't necessarily call us to change to live the way the Bible (well, more accurately, God THROUGH the Bible) shows / calls / demands us to.
The other issue is caught really well by 'Restless Pilgrim' - I love his 2nd last sentence: "The goal of praching is life transformaiton IN OURSELVES FOR THE SAKE OF others and the world." That's such a huge challenge, and I suspect that when preaching is just at the intellectual / informational level, it's not transforming the preacher - so how can we expect it to transform anyone else? (Except by the grace of God.)
And maybe that last sentence is the thing hey? It's only by the grace of God that we have the Bible, that he has gifted some to be preachers and teachers, that he gives us his Spirit, that he works in us to change us into the image of his Son.
Sorry, I've been doing some thinking out loud here. Hope that's okay.
Matt.
Post a Comment
<< Home