Just a short post that might stimulate a different type of discussion. When I listen to preachers, or evaluate my own preaching, I find some things are often missing in the pulpit. For example, Robinson highlights the importance of the “Big Idea” and the “Sermon Purpose” in his book Biblical Preaching. This is essentially the same thing as Thomas Long’s two terms, “Focus” and “Function” – what a sermon intends to say and do. (Long, The Witness of Preaching, 2d ed.) These two things are often MIA – and how sermons suffer for it! While these two are two of the most important things that can go MIA, there are others too…
(Peter has commented on this post)
Biblical Preaching 
Why assume that people want to listen to a message? Because they are sitting there? Surely that is often more to do with convention, weekly habits and politeness. There are many reasons people may be sitting there as the sermon begins, and there are many things that could be running through their hearts and minds at that moment (worries, pressures, distractions, etc.) So I wonder why a deliberate creating of need is often MIA in preaching? I’ve heard numerous sermons in these last years that simply assume people are interested in a specific biblical text. Somehow it is important to create a thirst that will be quenched by the sermon, to instigate an itch that the sermon can scratch. Many preachers do well at getting the attention of the listeners and even building a personal rapport (through humour, interesting story, etc.), but in some way it is important to create a need for the message. Ways to do this can wait for another post, but I think this is worth noting, “Creating need for sermon” is often MIA.