I recently returned from a three-month sabbatical. What an incredible blessing that time was for our family – time to rest, time to grow closer to God, time to focus on our marriage. After being in full-time ministry for over two decades, it was our first extended break. We thank God, our church, and all who helped to make it such a blessed time.
One of the side benefits of this time was the opportunity to visit about 13 different churches. I often see other churches, but as a visiting speaker. That’s different. Being an unknown guest allowed me to observe, notice, appreciate, and learn. We went to churches of all sizes (from 40 in the pews to tens of thousands over multiple services), various backgrounds, unique stories, and diverse strengths. (We also didn’t go to a few churches because they did not indicate when they meet – not on their sign, no phone number or website!)
Here are three big takeaways from this season of church visits:
1. Christ is building His church!
It is easy for us all to get so caught up in our own local church or our own church network that we lose sight of what God is doing around the world. We worshipped in drafty warehouses, historic buildings, tired functional buildings, stunning modern buildings, and a basketball arena. We sang and listened alongside tens and alongside thousands. We heard preachers with massive podcast followings, preachers with decades of experience, and a preacher without training faithfully filling the pulpit because the pastor had recently been promoted to glory. In different settings, with different crowds, different musical styles, and different preachers, the Gospel is being preached, and the church is being built. We saw so many baptisms; it was hugely encouraging. In our own setting, we may be encouraged or discouraged, or some combination of the two. But let’s remember that Jesus promised to build His church, and He continues to do exactly that across the world.
2. Preach the word to build the church!
I met with one pastor who quickly became a friend. He told me of a church that had gone from hundreds every Sunday to a handful of people in less than twenty years. Why? They had given up on preaching truth. On the other hand, two of the churches we visited are notable for their courage in going against the cultural tide and daring to be outspokenly biblical. I know many who would not share their courage or boldness. And yet one church was adding extra campuses to its ministry, while the other was desperately trying to add the parking spaces needed to accommodate the growth in attendance. Compromise on the Scriptures, and a church has nothing to offer. Dare to preach the Gospel boldly and not shy away from graciously addressing difficult subjects, and the church seems to grow.
3. Preach to reach the world; don’t just preach to the church!
I noticed how many preachers seemed to miss one key group of people in their preaching. They preached to their congregations, in some cases offering clear, bold vision, faithful Bible teaching, and challenging applications aimed at specific groups in the church. But in many cases (not all), they did not clearly address guests and unbelievers. It seems to me that there are a couple of good reasons to preach in such a way that guests and unbelievers feel seen and valued. First, because there may be guests and unbelievers present. What is the benefit of assuming everyone present is already saved and following Christ? Guests can show up on any Sunday (assuming there is a way to find out when the church is meeting!). Why miss the opportunity to present the Gospel to them? The second reason is that people in the church might be willing to invite neighbours and colleagues. However, to invite people, they need to trust that their guests will feel seen and valued. People generally will not risk relationships on inconsistently welcoming and irrelevant church services. How we preach when no guests are present will influence whether church members invite guests in the future.
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Biblical Preaching 