Beyond Guilt – Part 4

April 19, 2012April 19, 2012 / Peter Mead / Leave a comment

Some preachers rely exclusively on the pressure tactic of guilt in their preaching. Surely there must be a more biblically rounded approach? This week I’ve suggested we need to consider our stance, our tone and yesterday, our strategy. Let me offer the fourth factor today:

4. The Preacher’s Vision. Essentially, when we boil it down, what are we offering when we preach? Ok, the message of the text. So there will be an individuality to each message since every text is unique. But what does the Bible offer – even allowing for each text to be its own unique entity in the tapestry of the whole?

If you think the Bible offers instructions for living, your preaching will reflect that. If you think the Bible offers engaging ancient stories with helpful morals, then your preaching will reflect that. But if you think the Bible offers a vision of the heart and character and grace and personality of God, then your preaching will reflect that.

To put this another way, what is the good news offered in the Word? Is it the good news of a way in which a sinful humanity can now be empowered to live a more righteous life – that is, a gospel that somehow misses God out? Or is it the good news of who God is, offering a sinful humanity the privilege of relationship with Him who to know is life, and who to know will transform a life?

I wish this were so obvious that I didn’t see the need to write the post, but I have heard sermons where God is essentially, or even actually, omitted and absent. These are the kind of messages I might see as party political speeches, or “if only people would be good society would be better” messages, etc. There are many types of speeches in the world today, but the ones where God is at most a bit-part player are not the kind of speeches we need in the church.

If the vision captivating the preacher’s heart is the Law, then the message will likely be a guilt focused message. If the vision captivating the preacher’s heart is the grace and love of a loving God, then the message is likely to be more compelling, more transformative. After all, the gospel involves the transformation of lives from the inside out, not by the pressure of responsibility, but by the attractive invitation to respond to the goodness of our so very good God.

The vision captivating you will show in your preaching, and if it is the vision of the God who reveals Himself throughout His Word, then I suspect you will offer that same vision in your preaching – a vision that alone can truly transform lives.

Easter Musings

April 2, 2012 / Peter Mead / Leave a comment

Today I have posted some reflections from yesterday’s sermon. Naturally with this week being Easter it is even more appropriate to focus on Christ crucified. So today I’ll link to the Cor Deo post, then the rest of the week I am going to re-work some Easter posts from previous years. What are your particular thoughts concerning Easter this year?

Not As Many Churches As There Are Churches

September 28, 2008 / Peter Mead / 2 Comments

It’s a strange statement, but in most places there are not as many churches as there are churches. I am not referring here to the many church buildings that have been emptied, sold and converted for use as Hindu temples, car repair shops, martial arts schools or apartments (come visit the UK if you don’t believe me!) What I am referring to here is the number of churches where people will gather today, but come out none the wiser as far as the Bible, the gospel and God is concerned. How many churches there are that preach the fluff of well-meaning platitudes, rather than the solid substance of biblical truth.

In the city of London there are apparently something like 4000 churches. But how many will preach the gospel clearly and accurately today? How many will speak from the Word of God in a manner that reflects its truth, accuracy, historicity and relevance? How many genuinely believe in a God who is at work in the world today, even during the sermon segment of the service? As Calvin wrote, “Wherever we see the Word of God purely preached and listened to . . . it is in now way to be doubted that a church of God exists.” Let us pray for the people sitting in a church building today, but unclear as to their spiritual state or God’s provision for them in Christ. And let’s be sure that the church we preach in really is a church today!

Don’t Dress Up Non-Preaching In Bible Dress

March 5, 2008March 6, 2008 / Peter Mead / 1 Comment

Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that you have something to share that is not the normal biblical sermon. Perhaps you have an announcement to make, a vision to cast, an update on the new building project, some other leadership issue to address. Even though you are in church, don’t automatically attach a Bible text.

Typically, if not always, there will be a biblical basis for what is being communicated or done. It is obviously fine to share that, but make it clear that is not an authoritative warrant for the action. For example, you can present a biblical basis for fellowship, but don’t leverage that biblical content to add pressure for attending a church social event. There are biblical examples of God’s people working together on a building project, but that is not divine pressure for your people to sign up to the current project. It is fine to give some biblical support, but evaluate if it is really fair and helpful.

Don’t automatically attach a Bible text. Just because you’re in church doesn’t mean every announcement has to be “sanctified” in this way. Let people evaluate what they hear on its own merits, not with the unnecessary pressure of apparent biblical warrant. This is not a hard and fast rule, it’s a judgment call. If the church is following through on church discipline, I would strongly suggest you do give a biblical explanation for the procedure. But for a social event, just take the pressure off and let them choose!

Protecting the Final Preparation

January 14, 2008 / Peter Mead / 2 Comments

Yesterday I sat in church next to my wife (after the four children were safely in their classes) and got to listen to my friend preach. He did well. So I told him so. Turns out he had been run ragged in the 24 hours leading up to the service. I assured him that it had not shown in the preaching anywhere near the extent to which he had felt it. He responded with gratitude and something along these lines – I determined this would not happen to me again, but I need to revisit the situation.

As you know there are long lists of details that go into a Sunday morning service at church. All it takes is one person to be away, or a series of minor crises, and suddenly a lot of the last minute hassles can fall on the preacher’s shoulders. Take a few moments and evaluate yesterday’s preaching experience. Were there distractions at home, at church, in the last few hours? Did you find yourself dealing with issues relating to music, seating, announcements, unlocking the church, preparing communion, notice sheets, hymn books, projectors, lights, greeting people, seating people . . . several of these, all of these?

The time to make sure your final preparation is not crowded or distracted is not next Sunday morning. It is now. Who can be enlisted to shoulder burdens so that you are free to preach? Or if someone else is preaching, what can you do to free them for the task? The New Testament knows nothing of the one-man ministry models so many churches fall into. Take stock of your duties, divide them into categories and delegate them away. Ideally, try to find people with a passion for the things you don’t have passion for, but end up doing anyway. Some people are passionate about selecting songs, welcoming guests, organizing seating, doing the “children’s talk” if your tradition still has that, etc. Praise God for people with different passions. Pray for people with different passions. Take stock of yesterday, revisit the situation before it’s too late . . . again.