Oh, sure, occasionally you'll come across the stereotypical "hell, fire, and brimstone" preacher who belittles his hearers to build up his own ego and uses his pulpit as a whipping post. I'm not referring to that sort of preaching - a sermon that's "all heat and no light." I'm talking about real Gospel-oriented, Christ-centered, soul-stirring, heart-convicting preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit.
When it comes to penetrating people's hearts, there is no substitute for Scripture. "For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires" (Hebrews 4:12). What else in the world can do that? Answer: Nothing! As my good friend Steve Lawson, a passionate expositor himself, likes to say to fellow preachers: "Put away the plastic forks, and unsheath your sword!"
Here is a great example of that. Don't focus so much on the graphics, and certainly disregard the typographical errors. Concentrate instead on the preaching. Listen to the words ... the urgent tone ... the voice of authority ... and the plea for repentance. The preacher whose voice you'll hear just retired after 46 years of faithful preaching and pastoral ministry. May we, too, be unwaveringly committed to the uncompromising truth of God's holy word.
"All too often men in the pulpit seem to resemble this character, wishy-washy preachers who stand for nothing, who lull their hearers into complacency, who drone their audiences into a Christless eternity.
ReplyDeleteA preacher of the gospel by definition is a man who stands for something, who preaches with strong personal convictions about the matters at hand. Such a man cannot but be passionate in his preaching.
Passionate preaching almost always comes from a man who holds the truth he proclaims with deep personal convictions. They are the truths for which he would die. Men hold opinions, but convictions hold the man.
Convictions are spiritual instincts that drive us to action regardless of the circumstances. Yet convictions about the truths we preach is what is sadly lacking in our pulpits today. We have too many wishy-washy, half-in, half-out, boneless, spineless preachers in our pulpits today, and a wishy-washy pulpit produces wishy-washy people."
~ Alex Montoya, "Preaching With Passion"
A very good and relevant excerpt from Dr. Montoya's book. Thanks for posting it in our Comments section!
ReplyDelete