Deep Church by Belcher Jim;Mouw Richard J.;

Author:Belcher, Jim;Mouw, Richard J.; [Belcher, Jim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Published: 2009-09-25T00:00:00+00:00

8

Deep Preaching

Effective preaching is important to me. Preaching and teaching are a major part of my calling to the church. I work hard each week to be biblical and effective in relaying God’s Word in a powerful and life-changing way. My goal is not just to pass on information each week, although my sermons are informational, but transformation of individuals and the community. To do this the best I can, I have become a student of effective communication. Over the years I have read dozens of books on the theology and method of preaching, and listened to and observed thousands of sermons.

Growing up in church, I was dissatisfied with the preaching I heard, even if I did not know why exactly. For the most part I heard solid preaching, but it did not hold my attention or inspire me. Today, I recognize that my needs are not the most important thing; preaching is not just entertainment. But that does not mean it should not be gripping and engaging. God’s Word and the drama of salvation deserve nothing less. I was not looking to be entertained, just inspired, caught up in something bigger than my hurts and frustrations. I wanted preaching that was biblical but at the same time connected to my life—that pulled me into a life-changing drama. “Go big or go home” is the marketing slogan. That is what I wanted to hear.

What we tended to get every week was pretty common in churches—three points and a poem, someone once said. What bothered me was that it always felt like three different sermons tacked together. There may have been movement in each point but not between the points. By the time my pastor reached the end of the first point, doing so with great emotion and energy, I felt like he was done, only to have him move on to the next point and what felt like another sermon. By the end of the third point I was exhausted. The sermon lacked unity and dramatic movement. It left me uninspired.

But the problems ran deeper than just lack of dramatic movement. We were exhorted to love Jesus more, live more faithfully, avoid the world and serve obediently in the church. This kind of preaching tended to be moralistic and legalistic. We were told what to do but not where the power comes from to do it. The call to obedience was positive and negative—flee the world and serve God. I remember someone summing up the message of this kind of preaching with, “You suck, try harder.” Growing up I got a steady dose of this. I could never seem to pull it off. The harder I tried, the more I failed. I wanted to love Jesus and serve him, like my pastors asked, but I kept falling so short. I bounced from being “on fire” for Jesus to being totally indifferent and demoralized. Every winter at church ski camp I recommitted myself to Jesus only to return from the mountain-top experience and break this commitment the next day.

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