(01/07/17)

I think that a sermon is the most remarkable thing in the world. One of the old doctrinal statements of the Protestant Reformation very boldly said, “The preaching of the Word of God IS the Word of God.” Now, that statement most emphatically does NOT mean that a sermon is equal to the inspired, inerrant, and finally authoritative Word of God – the Bible.   What it DOES mean is that the message given to you by an authorized representative of God (assuming that message is faithful to our final authority – the Bible) is the message God intends for you at the particular time and place in which you hear it.   That’s why sermons are so remarkable.

Now let me make very clear at this point what I do NOT mean by a sermon. (And these things are, I’m afraid, way too common in so many so-called “churches” in our nation.) I am NOT talking about harangues from a pulpit. I am NOT talking about the emotional gushes of a “preacher’s” opinions and ideas. And I am NOT talking about pulpit messages which are not rooted in and rich with the Bible as the Word of God.   These may be forms of vocal communication, but they are – most emphatically – NOT sermons.

So, what’s a “sermon” – at least in the way Christians have historically understood the term?

  • It’s usually delivered by a man who has been trained and ordained to an office in what we call “The Ministry” He may be an ordained pastor, teacher, or evangelist; but he has been called to a particular place of service in an orderly way through the Christian church. He’s to be regarded as a messenger for God – an ambassador of Christ. He officially represents the God of the universe and the reigning King Jesus.
  • His message from the Bible is to a particular group of people at a particular place and time. Those particular things are treated with the deepest respect by the man who preaches.
  • The sermon is from a text or texts of the Bible. It’s clear to the hearers that the one preaching the sermon has worked hard to both understand and interpret the text or texts – from the original languages of the Bible, and in their specific and larger contexts.
  • It’s delivered by one imbued with the heart of God. He is manifestly “a shepherd after God’s own heart.”
  • It’s usually delivered to the people of God (and others who are with them) with a serious and joyful sense of what that means.
  • Its goal is to form the hearers into disciples of Jesus Christ as both their King and their Savior.
  • And it’s always careful to focus on Jesus Christ.   The one who preaches always has in mind that the whole Word of God is about Jesus Christ. (The Old Testament is about Jesus who WOULD come as the Messiah. The New Testament is about Jesus who DID come as the promised Messiah).   This isn’t a heady thing. It comes from nothing less than a profound conviction that Christian preachers are to make known Jesus Christ and the Gospel. Only Jesus and the Gospel really change people. The preacher is simply (but wonderfully!) God’s instrument in this amazing work.

Now these things are true whether the minister is preaching on a biblical topic, on one or more specific

texts of Scripture, or on larger passages as he works through whole books of the Bible.   Those are the three basic types of Christian preaching.

So you can see why a sermon – a sermon as I have just described – really is the most remarkable thing in the world. You and I are meant to become different people under preaching like this.

Now Jesus said “Take heed (that is, “Be careful!”) WHAT you hear! (Mk. 4:24) – in fact, you can make a strong case that the most important command in the Bible is “Hear! You need to be careful WHAT you hear, because you may be taking into your spiritual system something that is poison and not healthy food. (And I assure you that there is a lot of poison in too much supposedly “Christian” and “biblical” preaching.)

But Jesus also said (Lk. 8:18). “Take heed (Again, that means “Be careful”) HOW you hear.”   How you hear a sermon (or any teaching that is truly biblical and Christian) is – quite literally – a matter of life and death.   And that makes the minister’s preaching – and your hearing – very, very serious matters.

Our topic for today’s Visit to the Pastor’s Study (and it should be a common topic for discussion with your pastor) is “How to Hear a Sermon”.

Blessings to you!

Pastor Bill