Compare and contrast. Sounds like an exam question. I’ve been comparing and contrasting two TV shows. I’m away from home so I’ve watched a couple of TV shows to unwind at night. One is a classic police show from the early 80’s. The other a quality mini-series from last year. One is compelling viewing, the other is hilarious. Apart from great clothes, old cars that roll in every chase, shallow plots and pathetic one-liners, what else has changed in 25 years of TV production?
The introduction. A quarter of a century ago people would gladly sit through three minutes of canned music, watching several action shots and freeze frames of central characters with yellow lettering across the screen, “Starring – William Shatner.” I can just imagine people making themselves comfortable and saying to themselves, “I’ll watch it if he’s in it!” After the opening credits there are then a few more minutes of tedious scene setting, relaxed police officers enjoying a few empty jokes. Finally things start when a crime takes place (unrealistic, utterly ridiculous, but at least it is some action).
Today the opening credits last 45 seconds and don’t come until 8 minutes into the show. The very first frame of the broadcast is action, tension, intrigue, interest. Producers know that unless you grab people in the first seconds, you’ll lose them to one of the several hundred other options under their right thumb.
We are not preaching 25 years ago. People don’t make themselves comfortable and say to themselves, “a sermon about Moses, great! I’ll listen to it if he’s in it!” Life is faster, people are ready to move on quicker (not physically, but in their minds). What can you do in the first three or four sentences to arrest their interest and lock their focus?
I hope your clothes have changed in 25 years, and if the Lord has blessed you at all then hopefully your car has changed too. Let’s not go retro on the intro.
Biblical Preaching 
Great post. Very insightful. I like the illustration.
We really do have to have one our feet in the world when preparing to preach (and todays world, not yester-year).
Are they really still showing T.J. Hooker in the States?!
I’ve found it helps to ask the audience a question that is pertinent to the subject of the sermon. For example, this Sunday I’m preaching on “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD.” (Psalms 2:7-12, 34:8-10, 40:1-4 and 84:9-12) So I plan on opening by asking them questions such as “Who do you trust?” and “Have you ever been hurt by someone you trusted?” Then contrast the fact that people break promises, but that it is impossible for God to do so, thus demonstrating the faithfulness of the LORD our God.
Ah, T.J. Hooker! The show that launched the spectacular career of none other than…Adrian Zmed 🙂