John Stott’s classic book on preaching was entitled Between Two Worlds. His metaphor for preaching has been quoted by a generation of preaching writers. The preacher must inhabit both the world of the Bible and the world of the contemporary listener in order to build the bridge between these two worlds. Haddon Robinson suggests there are four worlds with which the preacher must be very familiar. The world of the Bible comes first. Of course, if preaching is to be expository this world must be present and must be first in the list. Second, he lists the world of contemporary culture. How are we to familiarize ourselves with the culture in which our people are immersed every day?

A preacher cannot hope to communicate effectively if their life is lived in a cultural vacuum, secluded in solitude from the people to whom they preach or the culture in which they live. It is important to have our eyes open. Observe society. Don’t just drink in societies messages without discernment. But use the same skills we use for sermon preparation on the messages all around us. What is the main idea of that advert? What was the big idea in that movie? What is the intended purpose of that song? Without conforming to the culture around us, we should be familiar with the movies that define the thought of our culture, the books people read, the music that forms the background noise of life. Let your specific congregation (world three), determine which aspects of culture you pay most attention to. A rural aging congregation may be relatively untouched by movies, music and sports. So with the limited time you have, select carefully where you can best get your finger on the pulse. Book reviews? Specific magazines and newspapers from all sides of the political spectrum? News or culture watching websites? Certain blogs? Your people live in this world all week, and if you hope to communicate to those still outside the church, this becomes even more critical, because the world of the local congregation has not become theirs yet.