Better Preaching: Two approaches

What are people looking for when they walk in your church?  The results of a recent Gallup survey might shock you and certainly flies in the face of most of the conventional wisdom.

I recently watch a TED talk by Saturday Night Live writer Will Stephen on how to give a great TED talk.  As I listened to his presentation, I couldn’t help but think that he has served as many preachers’ homiletics professor.  I strongly recommend you view his TED talk for comic value.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S0FDjFBj8o

For the moment, I will sum up his comments with the following outline:

·      Begin with “Nothing” to say.

            Compensate for having nothing to say with style.

            This can be accomplished by gestures, voice inflection, and facial expressions.

·      It is important to connect emotionally with your audience.

            Do this by asking a question that involves obvious audience participation.

            Tell a personally embarrassing story that will allow you to appear humble.

·      Make your sermon sound intellectual, even if you have no clue what you are talking about.

            The aggressive use of multimedia can keep you from having to work hard to develop something meaningful.

            The use of attractive stock photos with vaguely ethically sounding but pointless words will give you a strong, moral appeal to your audience.

·      Move to a strong conclusion.

            Having said nothing your conclusion needs to be nothing.

            Make sure you audience leaves with a feeling. 

            It doesn’t matter what that feeling is.

Sad to say, I have heard more than a few sermons developed with this system.  Sermons that are higher on entertainment value than they are substantive.  Preaching done based on relating to the target audience.  We have been told that people want church teaching to be relevant to life and under that guise we slip to the lowest common denominator of what is trending now.  Someone once said to me, “We have to do the newest, new thing.” 

But there is good news and a second approach.  In a recent Gallup survey the most important reason for people attending worship was “Sermons or talks that teach you more about scripture”.  Stop and let that soak in.  The reason people come to church is to be taught scripture.  Not how to feel good, how to get wealth, peace and prosperity, not to find a positive thought to carry them through the week.  They come to learn from and about scripture.  They do want relevance.  The second most common answer as to the most important reason to come to worship was “Sermons or lectures that help you connect religion to your own life”.   Even in the quest for relevance people want it from the Word of God. 

For the last generation the evangelical church has made a head long rush to be relevant.  So much so, that in some cases relevance has edged out scripture entirely.  The list of substitutes that have slipped into the teaching and preaching in America is almost endless.   But apparently what people are hungry for in a preacher is someone who will, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.”

I am not opposed to PowerPoint in sermons.  I think video can sometimes help prove a point.  I believe that a great story is priceless.  But more than any of these things the modern preacher needs a Bible, a notebook and pen, a few good study aids and a lot of quiet time with the Lord we claim to proclaim.

For more information on the Gallup Survey follow this link:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/208529/sermon-content-appeals-churchgoers.aspx?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_content=morelink&utm_campaign=syndication