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Five Common Hangups to Holiness

Dave Ward —  May 13, 2013 — 3 Comments

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1. The belief that all sin is the same

“I sin in thought, word, and deed every day” you have heard many say. You have also heard your people say “I think every sin is the same, who am I to judge?” Then the proof texts come out: “If you look at a woman you have committed adultery in your heart.” Nobody really thinks this is true. We don’t expel pastors from pulpits from looking the wrong way at a woman. We might rebuke them, but we don’t expel them. We do discipline them for adultery. That means we know there is a difference. We know it so deeply that our entire justice system is built upon this same belief. Intent to harm is judged over accidental harm, and so forth.

Not all sin is the same. Willful sin is the sin you can be free from. Unintentional sin is part of the human condition for life. Purposeful violations of God’s laws can be avoided. Flaws of character and flaws of performance are part of our ongoing battle to be more like Christ. They remain at some level until death. Not all sin is the same.

2. Personal setbacks

Many have pursued holiness only to continue stumbling into one vice or another. They struggle, they pray, they ask God for deliverance. Then they fail again. As human beings are known for doing, we look for justification. We find a proof text for this as well, “Paul was left with his thorn” they say. Paul never said it was a sin, it was a messenger. Yet we grasp that verse out of the many and let ourselves off the hook. It may take more time for us to surrender our attachments than it does for others. It may take more crises of conviction before our pet addictions are finally named. It may take more growth in grace, support from community, or understanding of God’s character before we finally are ready to give ourselves fully up to God. God may choose to delay his work in our hearts for his own reasons that we cannot discern. Our setbacks do not disprove God’s power to save, and to save from sin.

3. High profile failures

My first two academic advisors in ministerial studies had moral failings. Removed from their ministry posts and their academic posts their failures stung many of us in that generation of Wesleyan preachers. You have your own heroes and heroines who have fallen. For many, when someone was an exemplar of godliness to them, and that someone falls, cynicism sets in. “If that person couldn’t be holy, then no one can” we think.

The failure of one does not rule out the possibility for others. Think of it this way: does the doping charges of several high level baseball players rule out even the possibility of integrity for all baseball players?Isn’t it possible that one or two players never doped? How would that logic work if you applied it to a minority group? One or two key figures from that group act immorally so you rule out the possibility of morality for all members of that group. That’s called prejudice. It’s a form of weakened thinking. We have all fallen into it, but it does not rule out holiness.

4. Pride in the proponents

Holiness evangelists used to walk down the campground aisle with dark overcoats during the last of the song set. Sitting up front in a full suit, well above the crowd, they would glare (not singing) out over the crowd. They were setting their sites on their victims. A preaching friend of mine told me the story of giving an altar call in a holiness camp to which there was little response. The old evangelist by his side leaned over and said “Let me show you how this is done, son.” He stood up, manipulated the moment, and brought many to the altar.

Pride. We don’t like it. When the proponents of a position are prideful we like to discard the position. We throw out the baby with the bathwater. Have you ever read the phrase “Don’t rule out the use because of the abuse?” It’s a time worn rule of good thinking. Most Philosophy or Logic classes teach it. When we are tempted to discard holiness because of prideful proponents we need to remember they are not God or the scriptures. When we reject holiness, if holiness is true, it is not the flawed representatives we reject, but the scriptures testimony.

Are these the obstacles you have wrestled with? Do you have others? Share your

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Pastoral Counsel on Experiencing Entire Sanctification | Dr. Chris Bounds

navets —  May 6, 2013 — Leave a comment

sanctificationThe beauty of The Wesleyan Church’s teaching on holiness is the optimism and expectation that God can work in the present moment to bring about entire sanctification. It fosters in us a posture of expectation and earnest seeking, confident that the holiest longings of the human heart can be realized in our lives, sooner rather than later. As a preacher who regularly calls people to the experience of entire sanctification and desires they have a genuine experience, I share with you the counsel I offer in preaching, personal advice and altar counseling.

A. Surrender Fully to Jesus Christ – Make a Total Consecration of Life to God

If we desire to experience entire sanctification, we need to fully surrender our lives to Jesus Christ. We cannot hold back any part of our lives from God. We need to give it all to God – our dreams, talents, fears, emotional wounds, physical resources, strongholds of sin, divided heart, pride, etc. – and withhold nothing. We must be willing to go anywhere and do anything for God. We must consecrate to God all areas of our lives over which we have control, as well as those over which we have no control – the beauty and ugliness of our lives. Christ must have it all. If we are unwilling or unable to do this, the possibility of entire sanctification for us is handicapped and we need to seek Christ for His grace to enable us to make this total consecration.

In the American holiness tradition, the total consecration of a Christian to God is described as placing our lives on “the altar of God,” offering it as a sacrifice to God, waiting to be consumed by God’s sanctifying fire. The attitude of the human heart in this full surrender is captured well in John Wesley’s Watchnight Covenant Prayer, “I am no longer my own, but I am Yours. Put me to what You will, rank me with whom You will; put me to doing, put me to suffering; let me be employed for You or laid aside for You, exalted for You or brought low for You; let me be full, let me be empty; let me have all things, let me have nothing; I freely and heartily yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, You are mine and I am yours. So be it.”

B. Believe in the Divine Work of Entire Sanctification

If we desire to experience entire sanctification, we need to believe that Christ presently makes people holy in decisive moments. It’s not enough for us to suppose theoretically that it’s possible for God to bring about personal holiness; we must believe that God indeed does it in Christian hearts. If we do not see entire sanctification as something God does in a moment or if we are not at least open to the realistic possibility that God can do this in human lives now, the prospect of us personally experiencing entire sanctification is weakened.

While belief in entire sanctification may seem simple enough “on the face of it,” there is a deep and pervasive skepticism about it in the American Church. Even in traditional Wesleyan Holiness denominations cynical attitudes about its possibility are found. There are at least three reasons for such disbelief. First, even though Evangelicalism talks about spiritual transformation in Christ, focus is placed on justification and forgiveness of sins. Salvation is seen primarily as a ticket to heaven. When sanctification is taught, it’s portrayed as a slow and gradual process in a Christian’s life, with little emphasis and expectation of a sudden, decisive intervention of God that radically alters a person’s life, much less setting people free from the power of sin and orienting their hearts in love of God and neighbor. Second, many believers who grew up in the American Holiness tradition at some point sought entire sanctification in their lives and when they did not experience it after a period of seeking, lost hope that it could be realized in the present moment. Finally, many doubt the possibility of entire sanctification because they witnessed such poor examples of holy living among those professing the experience of entire sanctification.

Holiness theology has “fallen on hard times,” resulting in greater difficulty for people to believe that God sanctifies entirely in a decisive moment. Therefore, if we desire personal holiness for our lives, but are skeptical about its attainability, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to its possibility.

C. Ask Christ in Faith Specifically for Entire Sanctification Now

If we desire entire sanctification, we need to go to Christ in faith and specifically ask Him to sanctify us entirely in the present moment. Because entire sanctification is the work of Christ and through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, it is not something we can generate, produce or bring about in ourselves. We are totally dependent upon God to do this miraculous work. Therefore, we must go to Him and ask Him for the gift of entire sanctification. While God can and does the work of entire sanctification in human hearts without specific intercession for it, He brings personal holiness most often in response to prayer. We need to “call on the name of the Lord” for it.

When we ask, we must exercise faith in Christ. This faith in Christ is more than a general belief in the divine work of entire sanctification, the belief that God does this work in human lives; it is a personal faith in Christ that Christ desires to do this work in our lives and will do it now in our lives. John Wesley describes the personal faith that sanctifies entirely as “a divine evidence and conviction, first, that God has promised it in the holy Scripture…secondly, that what God hath promised He is able to perform…thirdly, that He is able and willing to do it now…and to this confidence, a divine evidence and conviction that He does it.”

As has been stated already, American Christianity as a whole is deeply suspicious about the possibility of entire sanctification. There is a climate of unbelief. In the face of such skepticism, personal faith for entire sanctification is even more difficult to come by. It is one level of faith to believe that the Holy Spirit can sanctify wholly another person, but it is another level of faith all together to believe that He can do it and will do it now in us. If we lack personal faith to believe God for entire sanctification, if God has not given us “faith to believe,” again we need to go to the Lord and ask for this faith. The enduring scriptural prayer, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief,” is most appropriate here. We must ask the Lord for personal faith to believe that He can make us holy in a moment.

In the history of Christianity in general and in the history of the Wesleyan Holiness tradition in particular, there are many testimonies of God bringing entire sanctification about in the lives of people in the first moments that they asked for it. God does this work of grace in the instant they ask in faith.

D. Seek Entire Sanctification Persistently until God Brings It

If entire sanctification does not happen in the moment we initially ask for it or even after a season, we need to persistently seek this experience and the faith that appropriates it in the means of grace, looking for the Holy Spirit to work through these means to bring personal holiness into our lives, and not grow weary until God brings it to us. While God is not limited to bringing entire sanctification only to those who persistently seek it, we most likely will miss out on this divine gift without such diligence and hunger. Entire sanctification by faith must be actively sought, not passively.

What does it mean to seek entire sanctification persistently until God brings it? Although hardly exhaustive, here is a sketch of some of the ways we can diligently seek for personal holiness in the means of grace. We can regularly set aside specific time in our lives to fast and pray for the experience of entire sanctification. We can find people who have experienced entire sanctification in their lives, listen to their testimonies and counsel, and ask for their intercession. We can read and study holiness literature and biographies of Christians who lived lives of complete surrender to God. We can seek out other Christians who believe in entire sanctification to “lay hands” on us and pray for this work of grace to be done in our lives. We can seek to be a part of a group that keeps us accountable for persistently seeking entire sanctification until it happens. As we participate in Holy Communion, we can ask God to sanctify us. When altar calls are given to invite people to experience entire sanctification, we can go forward to pray. We take opportunity to serve others through our local church, asking God to perfect our hearts in love as we serve. As we worship and hear the Scriptures read and the Word of God proclaimed, we can listen attentively for the still small voice of the Spirit to say to us, “Today is the day of your deliverance.” Through actively seeking the experience of entire sanctification by faith in these and other means of grace, we position ourselves to receive God’s sanctifying work when God brings it.

In the American holiness tradition, this active seeking is often described as “tarrying in Jerusalem until the Spirit comes,” as adhering to the exhortation “do not grow weary” in seeking the fullness of His Spirit, and “praying through” until victory has come. If we persist in seeking entire sanctification by faith in the means of grace, God will come and give this gift.

Conclusion

These are not rigid boundaries for God, God is not bound or limited to them, but they express the wisdom and ways in which God has most generally worked to bring people into this beautiful work of grace. They may be helpful to you as you preach on holiness and guide seekers.

bounds_chrisDr. Chris Bounds is an Associate Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan. He came to IWU in the Fall of 2002, after serving eight years as a pastor in Arkansas. As a pastor, a theologian and a professor, he is committed to communicating Wesleyan theological distinctives to his students, contemporary Evangelicalism and society.

He and his wife Tamara have two children, a daughter named Maris and a son named Morgan.

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Setting Holiness Too High | Dr. Chris Bounds

navets —  April 29, 2013 — 2 Comments

holiness-pedestalIncreasingly, Wesleyans are losing the ability to articulate clearly, succinctly, and persuasively our understanding of holiness. One of the reasons behind our problem is confusion over the meaning of entire sanctification. While the Wesleyan Church has a clearly defined Article of Religion on holiness, different descriptions of entire sanctification exist among laity and clergy. As I have listened to holiness preaching over the years, I have identified four different definitions of entire sanctification. While there is common ground among them, two of these set entire sanctification too low, one too high, and one accurately captures our Wesleyan view.

A. Entire Sanctification as Simple Consecration (Too Low)

The lowest view of entire sanctification I’ve heard preached equates holiness with simple consecration. When Christians sincerely give themselves “entirely and completely” to Christ, when they have surrendered every part of who they are and all they have, when they have offered themselves on “God’s altar,” they are said to be entirely sanctified. To be entirely sanctified means to be fully surrendered to Christ.

Sanctified Christians from this perspective earnestly desire to follow Christ, to love God and neighbor, but still may have strongholds or patterns of sin in their lives over which they have little or no control, may still succumb occasionally to ungodly manifestations of pride, anger, and selfishness, still have a “bent toward selfishness and disobedience,” and may still “give in” to temptations in moments, although this is not what they wanted. Their intentions are good, but there are times and places where they lack the power to follow through on them. However, because they have consecrated themselves entirely to God, these “struggles,” “infirmities,” “weaknesses” often are overlooked and they are said to be entirely sanctified.

At this point, it may be helpful to clarify that while entire consecration is essential to the realization of entire sanctification, it is not the equivalent of it. A truly Wesleyan definition of holiness affirms that it’s possible for a Christian to be fully surrendered to the Lord and not be entirely sanctified.

In short, entire consecration as entire sanctification falls short of a truly Wesleyan definition because it settles too easily for a life characterized by servitude to sin, too quickly glosses over strongholds of sin and original sin. Entire sanctification entails far more than entire consecration. Consecration is a means toward entire sanctification, but not its equivalent.

B. Entire Sanctification as Freedom from the Power of Sin (Too Low)

A second definition of entire sanctification I’ve heard preached equates holiness primarily with freedom from the power sin. When Christians have been set free from intentional sin, when they have the power to refrain from known sin, when they are empowered to walk in obedience to Christ, they are said to be entirely sanctified.

Sanctified Christians from this perspective are freed from the power of sin, but aren’t necessarily delivered from the nature of sin in the present life. Christians will persistently struggle with an inner attitude of rebellion, selfishness and pride. This is more than external temptation, but an internal bent to sinning that persists. The sanctified can suppress the sin nature, but can’t be free from it, be victorious over it in any given temptation, but an internal struggle to sin will persist until glorification in death.

While entire sanctification truly empowers freedom from known sin, this definition sets entire sanctification too low, because it does not take seriously deliverance from nature of sin, our “bent toward sinning.” There have been a number of expressions used by Wesleyans to describe the inward freedom from the power of original sin. Negatively, “eradication of the sin nature,” “overcoming the sin principle, “cleansing from original sin,” and “deliverance from inward rebellion” have been some of the popular ways it has been described. Positively, “baptism of the Holy Spirit, “infilling of the Spirit, “perfect love,” and “full salvation,” have been some of the expressions to define it. Regardless of the language, all these expressions covey a redemption from that part of human existence that sets itself up against the rule of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life, a liberation from the “old man” that cries out “I won’t” and/or “I can’t” to the call of discipleship.

In short, entire sanctification as freedom from willful sin falls short of a truly Wesleyan Holiness view, because it loses focus on the possibility of Christians being set free from the “bent toward sinning” and having a heart perfected in love. It captures part of the truth of entire sanctification, but not the whole.

C. Entire Sanctification as Freedom from the Possibility of Sin (Too High)

While I rarely hear the third definition of entire sanctification proclaimed anymore in Wesleyan circles, it occasionally finds its way to the margins of the church and often is the working conception of entire sanctification for Christians outside of the Wesleyan tradition. It understands entire sanctification as an incorruptible state of holiness. In addition to being free from all known sin, and the nature of sin, the sanctified are set free from the possibility of intentional sin. Love for God and neighbor is so complete or perfect, defection from this love is impossible. At times, this perspective has argued that even being tempted is impossible, because the fruit of the Spirit is so perfected in the believer.

While different aspects of this position may be brought to the fore, sometimes emphasizing the impossibility of sin and at other times the impossibility of temptation, the primary focus is the incorruptibility of Christian perfection. The entirely sanctified Christian can’t fall into intentional sin.

In short, this definition of entire sanctification sets holiness too high, a higher state than even Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden of Eden before the fall. There is not a state of holiness in the present life that sets a person free from the possibility of temptation or disobedience.

D. Entire Sanctification as Freedom from the Power and Nature of Sin and a Heart Perfected in Love (The Wesleyan View)

The final definition of entire sanctification I’ve heard preached navigates well between views that set the sanctified life too low or too high. It satisfies the three criteria for our holiness teaching as defined in The Wesleyan Church’s Article of Religion – (1) freedom from the power of sin, enabling the Christian to walk in obedience to the known will of God, and (2) freedom from the nature of sin, correcting our “bent toward selfishness and disobedience, (3) empowering a love of God and humanity with the whole heart. From this perspective, entire sanctification sets people free from the power and nature of sin in order to set them free to truly love God and neighbor. However, the sanctified can still be tempted, are still capable of disobedience, and remain subject to limitations in judgment and understanding (sins of infirmity).

This Wesleyan definition also makes a distinction between entire sanctification and Christian maturity. It is possible for a person to be set free from inward and outward sin, perfected in love, and empowered for ministry, but not have the knowledge, wisdom, and experience necessary for Christian maturity. Yet, a Christian cannot become fully mature without the experience of entire sanctification. A believer can know what to do in a given situation, but not have the power or proper motivation to execute it in a way fitting with spiritual maturity.

While this truly Wesleyan understanding of entire sanctification maybe nuanced in different ways, when the Spirit takes residence in our lives, He begins the process of transforming our attitudes, interests, and actions, while confronting us with an internal principle of selfishness and sin, persisting stubbornly in us. This is often called “initial” and “progressive” sanctification. While it may be described in different ways, Wesleyans believe the Spirit in a moment of consecration and faith can (1) conquer this principle or deliver us from this principle, (2) thereby enabling us to love God with our whole heart and our neighbor as ourselves and (3) making possible our complete obedience to God’s revealed will.

Conclusion

Even during the 18th century Methodist revival, John Wesley had to address repeatedly definitions of entire sanctification being set too high or too low by his preachers. This issue continued in American Methodism and the holiness movement. As I have observed holiness preaching in my life, I have seen this same tendency. Because of this natural susceptibility, it is important for us as preachers and pastors to reexamine what we preach and teach about entire sanctification to make sure we are not promising too much or too little in the “full gospel” of Jesus Christ and are able to articulate what we believe as Wesleyans.

bounds_chrisDr. Chris Bounds is an Associate Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan. He came to IWU in the Fall of 2002, after serving eight years as a pastor in Arkansas. As a pastor, a theologian and a professor, he is committed to communicating Wesleyan theological distinctives to his students, contemporary Evangelicalism and society. He and his wife Tamara have two children, a daughter named Maris and a son named Morgan.

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Preaching a Narrative Sermon | by Dr. Dave Ward

Dave Ward —  March 18, 2013 — 4 Comments

Two weeks ago we read a challenge by one of our pastors and seminary students to make Easter more exciting than the Superbowl. I do not think that preaching alone can accomplish that goal by any means. I do think, though, that preaching needs to be a part of it. The problem? Most of our preaching starts high in energy and ends low in energy. It starts high in humor and ends low in joy. We need to recover structures for sermons that help us to start with energy and end with energy so that we walk out of the preaching moment with higher hope than when we walked in.

Homiletical Plot CoverTo help us do that I want to lay out for you the basic concepts of Eugene Lowry’s Homiletical Plot. It is the one book I wish I could have every experienced preacher read. It is a little more difficult to get through than your average book written by a church growth pastor who wants you to preach like them. At the same time, it is deeper, more transformative, and more helpful for preaching in the long run. Robert Gelinas, pastor of Colorado Community in Aurora, CO once told me he re-reads the book every year. He has been pastoring long enough to make that rather impressive.

Gene Lowry argues that what makes preaching narrative is not a story or a string of stories. Contrary to popular thought what makes a sermon structure narrative is the flow of thought that follows something similar to a plot lines. Plots introduce characters, then show us the conflict between them and the world, then show some clue that will resolve the conflict, then leave the tension mostly resolved in some sort of satisfying conclusion. Here’s how that works in sermons in Lowry’s mind:
Lowry Loop Graph
Stage 1: You upset the status quo. Introduce a conflict, a tension, a problem, or a deeply felt human itch. It might start as simply as this “I want to read to you the most offensive passage in the New Testament” or like this “I have a friend who really does not like Easter.” Ideally the upsetting or itching stage is born out of deep study of the text. The problem you introduce is a key problem for the text.

Stage 2: You analyze the conflict. Lowry calls this the “discrepancy.” Sometimes the conflict in our sermons is a discrepancy between how life seems on the surface, and what scripture tells us to believe. At this stage, the goal is to get people to stop giving polite church nods and truly feel the trouble with the world as it is, or the claims of scripture, or their own lives.

Stage 3: Disclose a clue to resolution. The gospel comes through in every text in scripture if we search long enough for it. With eyes to see, we can discern the good news of God’s holy love in both testaments even in the genealogies or Leviticus’ rigid rules. The preacher’s job is to find the clue that resolves the conflict or discrepancy the people feel so very deeply.

Stage 4: Experience the gospel. What makes this model so open toward celebration and hope is that it asks us to help people experience God’s good news in ways similar to experience in a good story. We experience Lincoln’s loneliness and burden in Steven Spielberg “Lincoln.” We feel the moral dilemma’s and the beauty of grace in “Les Miserables.” Good preaching should do the same. We find ways to help people experience intellectually, emotionally, and volitionally the good news at as many levels as possible.

Stage 5: Anticipate the Consequences. The good news changes us. The particular slice of the good news that our scripture passage of the day highlights for us points us toward the future in our own lives. The bible doesn’t offer us dead truths to be believed in coldly. It offers us ways of living with God in the world warmly. Help your people see a new way to live. Help them embrace it. And do it with a celebration of what that world could look like if they did.

Dave Ward Color CroppedDr. Dave Ward, Associate Dean, School of Theology and Ministry, IWU

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Escargot, Aged Cheddar and an Empty Tomb | By Adam A. Kline

navets —  March 4, 2013 — 4 Comments

escargotI have a confession to make: I don’t get very excited about Easter.  I mean don’t get me wrong I know that Easter, that Resurrection Sunday, is the reason for it all.  I know, as the Apostle Paul said, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17).  I know all this.  I am fully aware of the power and purpose of Christ’s Resurrection – in principle – but if I’m being honest, truly honest in terms of personal experience, Easter doesn’t get me all revved up and rambunctious like I know it should; like I pray it would.

I came to this conclusion recently when reading and studying extensive material on the Resurrection.  In the same week in which I was reading the works of Saint Athanasius, Karl Barth, Jurgen Moltmann and N.T. Wright, all on the subject of Christ’s Resurrection, I also received an email from a good friend inviting me to his annual Superbowl party.  Now, before I go any further (and for the sake of empathy, or maybe pity) you must understand that my friend hosts an outstanding Superbowl party.  I think it’s the only Sunday of the year he actually plans not to go to church just so he can prepare a feast for his friends.  He slow cooks a dozen racks of ribs, prepares several pounds of chicken wings, takes the time to smoke brisket, and even adds a delicate pastry filled escargot and aged cheddar. He goes all out!  So as you can imagine, as soon as I read his email, my mouth began to salivate.  As soon as I received his invitation I started to get excited.  And that’s when the Holy Spirit so aptly granted me the gift of conviction.  I paused and confessed to myself and to my Lord, ‘I want to be as excited for Easter Sunday as I am about the Superbowl.’

Early in the Christian church Easter Sunday was the highest of holidays, or holy-days.  It was the biggest feast day of the year, and for these faithful disciples of Christ, their feasting meant so much more because Resurrection Sunday was a climactic celebration at the end of a long, drawn-out season of fasting and intense discipleship.  As liturgical scholar Martin Connell (2006) notes, “what became Lent had its origins in the Alexandrian church, where a forty-day period of fasting and baptismal preparation, already associated with Jesus’ temptation, appears to have begun” (p. 72).  In part, for these early Christians, what made Easter Sunday so joyous or dare I say, rambunctious, was the fact that many of their friends, new converts to the faith, were completing their first season of discipleship (or catechism) with the initiating rite of baptism.  It was a huge party! It wasn’t just about the personal experience or emotions involved but about the shared, communal experience of welcoming and celebrating new brothers and sisters in Christ.

For the early Christians, Easter was both a celebration for the body, a breaking of the Lenten fast with great feasting, and it was a celebration of the Body, as the community of faith welcomed new followers of Jesus.  Now, you might think that this would be enough for me to contemplate my conviction of Savior vs. Superbowl, but I know there’s more.  For those of us who are pastors, while the idea of feasting and fellowship might at first inspire and enliven us, the truth is, once we begin to consider the practicalities of making it happen, it just sounds exhausting.

As a pastor, seasons such as Advent and Lent are anticipatory and glorious in purpose but in the end are often arduous and tiring in experience.  I mean after preparing a sermon series, Sunday School, potlucks, prayer nights, plans for a Passover Seder and a Good Friday service, come Easter morning it’s almost as if we have to manufacture our excitement for the highest of holy days.  It’s almost as if we need to be resurrected from the dead alongside our Lord.  And that’s when I remember, I do, and we will.  In 1746, with his twelve-versed Resurrection ballad, All Ye That Seek the Lord Who Died, Charles Wesley put it this way,

The third auspicious morn is come,

And calls your Savior from the tomb,

The bands of death are torn away,

The yawning tomb gives back its prey.

 

Haste then, ye souls that first believe,

Who dare the Gospel-Word receive,

Your faith with joyful hearts confess,

Be bold, be Jesus’ witnesses.

 

Go tell the followers of your Lord

Their Jesus is to life restored;

He lives, that they His life may find;

He lives, to quicken all mankind.

 

Who dare the Gospel-Word receive; I love that line.  Do we dare?  Do I dare treat Easter like it’s a party?  Do I dare party like it’s 33 A.D.?  Like I know we are living in a time that is After. Death.  Easter Sunday should be a party, or maybe to put it another way, it’s already a party.  The only question is, am I a part of it?  Resurrection Sunday should be the biggest party of the year!  We should prepare and share the finest food and expect the greatest celebration; but we must not forget that even the most anticipated of Superbowl parties, even the most memorable of Wedding receptions, require a great deal of preparation; maybe even an entire season of it.  Resurrection is the single most climactic event in God’s story.  The Resurrection was what God’s story was building toward all along and it is the only reason the story continues today.  Easter Sunday is the reason we remember, reenact and experience the truth that He lives, to quicken all mankind.  Resurrection is the greatest of gifts at the end of a forty-day season of preparation and initiation.  Resurrection Sunday is the reason for it all, as the Apostle Paul declared, “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man” (1 Corinthians 15:20-21).

I desire to be rambunctious for the Resurrection!  It is my prayer that my excitement for the Superbowl will pale in comparison to my anticipation of Easter Sunday.

So Pastor, I encourage you to do what you must do to make Easter notably and noticeably the most significant and unusual Sunday of them all.  For it is because of this one day that we gather together every other Sunday in the year.  Share the story, break some bread, prepare a feast; fill a delicate pastry with a combination of escargot and aged cheddar.  Do whatever it is you need to do to make it meaningful; Your faith with joyful hearts confess, Be bold, be Jesus’ witnesses.

Questions to consider:

    1. What can you do in and through the preaching moment to encourage “rambunctious” celebration of Easter this year?
    2. How can you as a pastor spread the burden of fasting and feasting so that Easter becomes a distributed blessing, not a pastoral burden?

 

Bibliography

Connell, M. (2006). Eternity Today, Volume 2: On the Liturgical Year. New York, NY:

Continuum.

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Pursuasive Words by Emily Vermilya

navets —  February 4, 2013 — 1 Comment

Imagine yourself, if you will, standing in your church foyer, atrium, narthex—or whatever else you might call your central gathering space—following a Sunday morning worship service. Congregants, having just exited the service, now gather to greet one another and discuss the news, sports, and weather of the week past as well as the service from which they’ve just emerged. What do you hear? More specifically, in what ways do you hear the word, “worship” used within this conversation?

“I loved worship this morning! That song leader has a tremendous voice!”

Or…

“Worship was too loud today! I don’t understand why we have to use so many instruments up there!”

Or…

“I don’t get anything out of worship here.  I think next week I’ll just come late and be here in time for the sermon.”

Sound familiar?

Somewhere along the path of the past many years (certainly, no one can say where, exactly), the word, “worship,” has become synonymous with “music” throughout much of Christendom—which is troubling on a number of levels, but specifically as it isolates and attempts to identify music as the totality of worship. What of the other actions of Christian worship which are rooted in biblical praxis and which have been part of the Christian gathering and offering unto God throughout history? The Scriptures remind us of the richness and diversity of these actions of worship.

In 2 Chronicles 6 and 7, the Israelites gather to worship God in the newly erected temple. Their worship is not devoid of music—it involves the sounding of trumpets and the utterance of praise by the people, which may, in fact, have been in the form of chant or song. But in addition to these components, the text is also clear to point out the inclusion of the presentation of burnt offerings to God (7:1, 5, 7), the prayer of blessing over the people (6:3), and the prayer of dedication of the temple to the Lord (6:14-42).

In Nehemiah, Chapter 8, the Israelites gather again for worship. In this account, their gathering is clearly centered around the reading of the law (8:2-3), including Ezra’s acclamation’s of praise (6:6a –which, again, could have come in the form of songs or perhaps his own exegesis of the law), and the people’s response (6:6b–postures of submission and adoration along with the verbal, AMEN). Were these not actions of worship?

Fast forward to the book of Acts, Chapter 2, where we read that the worship of God was centered around the apostles’ teaching, the fellowship of believers, the breaking of bread, and prayer (2:42). Additionally, the performance of miracles and offering of possessions to the needy were also actions of worship.

Yet today, we are somewhat fixated upon musical worship and it’s centrality to our services.  Music is an enormously influential and persuasive part of culture, so it’s no surprise that we employ its beauty in worship. Likewise, music is also demonstrated and called for within the Scriptures.

From the song of praise offered to God by Moses and Miriam following the Israelite’s safe passage through the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1-18) to the chorus of voices and instruments offered in praise in Solomon’s temple (2 Chronicles 5:11-13), music has offered God’s people an expression of worship. From David’s Psalms to the Christ Hymn penned by the Apostle Paul in Philippians 2, songs are a part of the Christian expression of worship to God.

Certainly, the fullness of our worship of God is a mosaic of textures and expressions—biblically rooted and historically engaged. By perpetuating the notion of worship being equivalent to music alone (or even passively continuing to use these words synonymously), I wonder if we are hindering our congregation’s attitude and actions in worship? This is especially true for preaching pastors, who’s every word is esteemed by nature and authority of the pulpit. Think about it, what other action of worship do we, as evangelicals, designate as much time to in a service as preaching? And while significant biblical, exegetical, and culturally relevant content in these sermons have great power to assist the Holy Spirit in the transformation of souls, so too do the casual words and phrases used within the pulpit shape our congregations and a greater understanding of the ecclesia.

If our understanding of worship truly is enhanced or diminished by our language, then preachers play a tremendous role in helping to reform and reshape the congregation’s understanding of worship. While any worship leader would tell you there is wonderful value in a preacher taking on the topic of worship, teaching a congregation about its biblical, historical, and theological roots, there is also profound value added when the preacher is vigilant in the use of the word, “worship.”

So instead of beginning a sermon by saying, “As we conclude our time of worship, please turn to today’s text in your Bibles,” why not try: “As we continue in our worship of God this morning, let’s turn to today’s text in our Bibles.”  In this way, look for opportunities to highlight and augment the role of various actions of worship within the texts you are preaching. So often, our congregations understand worship only from a modern-day point of view. By highlighting the various biblical and historical actions of worship engaged in throughout biblical and church history, we aid in the expansion of our people’s comprehension of the many facets and actions of worship.

When a disgruntled congregant complains that they “don’t like what’s happening in worship,” don’t immediately assume they are complaining about the music (even if you know they probably are). Perhaps, ask the person to first evaluate your sermons, the amount of time your congregation spends in corporate prayer in worship, or the frequency with which your church celebrates the Eucharist. If the complaint really is about the music, the congregant will get there! But the moments you spend redirecting and reminding people that worship is much more than music have the potential to be significant in reforming and reshaping your congregation’s understanding of this foundational action of the church.

Emily Vermilya is the Worship Arts Director at College Wesleyan Church

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People See, People Do: A Parable by Emily Vermilya

navets —  January 28, 2013 — Leave a comment

Not long ago, a pastor commented to a friend that his congregation had “lost its zeal in worship.” The friend pressed in and asked him to be specific with his concerns. The pastor did so, mentioning a lack of participation by the congregants in singing, a perceived increase in people’s level of distraction throughout times of prayer, and a general disregard and diminished sense of sacredness in regard to the celebration of the sacraments. He’d spent time trying to figure out the problem. He’d considered the length of the services, the style of music used, the pastoral staff who were leading and their abilities to dynamically guide and direct services—none of these seemed to yield the congregation’s increasing apathy in every aspect of the service, except the sermon. “They are a wonderful congregation to preach to,” he said. “But they are so disengaged in every other aspect of worship.” So in an attempt to gain a fresh perspective, he invited his friend to worship with his congregation and to make her own assessment of the situation. She agreed.

Upon entering the church, the friend was immediately taken by the beauty of the sanctuary. Great care had been put into the construction of such a lovely worship space. Adorned with stained glass tapestries and warm-glowing candles, she was met with a wonderful sense of both God’s transcendence and imminence in this place. Wonderful music filled the room as she took a seat toward the back of the sanctuary, hoping to observe what would happen in this place over the next hour.

As the prelude came to a conclusion, the friend began surveying the congregation, hoping to exchange a glance with her pastor-friend—simply letting him know she had arrived. As the song leader moved to the platform, called the congregation to worship, and invited people to join in singing praises to God, the friend still hadn’t located the pastor. She looked in the front first, thinking that might be a natural place for the pastor to sit. He was not there. She looked behind her, wondering if he was at the door, welcoming late comers. He wasn’t there either. Finally, as the congregation listlessly sang the second stanza of the second song, she noticed her pastor-friend entering the sanctuary from a side door. He looked a bit frazzled, straightening his tie and quickly moving into his usual front row seat.

As the song leader spoke words of encouragement to the congregation to proclaim the great name of Jesus during the final hymn, the woman was surprised to see her pastor-friend sit down, open his Bible in his lap, then sit motionless for the duration of the hymn. He remained that way through the time of pastoral prayer and only moved slightly during the time of offering testimony and praise and that was in an effort to re-tie his shoes! The ushers never even looked at him as they collected the offering (let alone hand him an offering plate). It was as if he was invisible. And, for all practical intents and purposes, might as well have been.

As the Scriptures were being read by the lector, the Pastor began to look forward from his seat. Then, like a rocket shot from a cannon, he stepped onto the platform and preached a dynamic sermon—and the people in the congregation seemed to come to life. Suddenly, with each perfectly planned cadence–with every emphasized word or deliberate motion of his hand, the congregation mirrored his enthusiasm and excitement.

As the sermon came to a conclusion, the song leader returned to the platform, offering excellent words encouraging people to respond through song to the Word of God. As the singing began, the woman couldn’t help but notice her pastor-friend return to his front-row seat, sit down looking exhausted, and place his head in his hands, wiping sweat from his brow as he starred lifelessly at the ground until the song leader had offered the benediction and dismissed people from the service.

This congregation’s problem became obvious to the woman: people see, people do. Despite the wonderful worship environment, despite the capable musicians and team of elders and deacons leading the congregation in prayer and praise, the congregation was simply emulating its senior leader.

After the service was over, it was a difficult conversation for the woman to have with her pastor-friend, to say the least. But in an effort to remain true to what she was asked to do, she offered him the following advice:

  1. When you show up late for the service, you implicitly communicate that only the parts of the worship service you perform matter.
  2. When you heartily participate in actions of worship, it’s catchy. In the same way, when you choose to sit in the front pew while others have been asked to stand; when you choose to rehearse the words of your sermon while others are being asked to sing or pray, it communicates a lack of importance to these other actions of worship. If you don’t value participating in these elements, why should anyone else?
  3. As a pastor, you are called to lead the congregation in worship—not just preaching. While preaching IS an important action of worship, it is not the only action of worship to which we are called.

She gave the pastor example after example of what she had observed that morning. He was shocked by her assessment—perhaps even somewhat skeptical of her evaluation. So she challenged him to be a holistic worship leader to his congregation for three months and then get back to her.

Three months later, the woman revisited this congregation. This time, her pastor-friend didn’t know she was coming. To her great pleasure, the pastor was in his seat before the prelude had even begun. He sang each of the opening songs with great passion and even took a kneeling position during the pastoral prayer. He stood up and shook a young man’s hand after a testimony of praise was offered. He even paused slightly after the lector had completed the Gospel reading, before approaching the platform to preach.

As the woman watched her friend lead, she saw his congregation follow. The church hadn’t been completely transformed—there were still some who seemed disinterested or disengaged with what was happening around them. But by and large, she saw the people of this church following a leader in worship—their pastor!

What would this woman observe of your leadership if she were to walk into your church this Sunday? How are you preparing this week—not only to preach, but also to lead your congregation in the worship of Almighty God?

Emily Vermilya is the Worship Arts Director at College Wesleyan Church

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The Impossible Possibility of Preaching by John L. Drury

navets —  January 14, 2013 — 3 Comments

Pete is a master preacher. He is a person in whom natural ability, cultivated skill, and divine gifting are woven into a beautiful preaching life. I had not seen Pete for a few years when we were assigned the same table at the wedding reception of a mutual friend. Pete wasted no time, asking me immediately, “How do you like preaching every week?” I quickly answered, “It’s hard, but I love it.” Then he asked me a question I’ll never forget: “Have you run out yet, John?” I didn’t understand the question. “Well, you will,” he explained, “And that’s when you’ll be ready to preach.” I still didn’t get it—until a few months later, when it happened. I ran out. And Pete was right: that’s when I was ready to preach!

I invite you to think with me about the human poverty of preaching as it makes room for the divine riches of revelation. We are poor in our resources for preaching. God is rich. I want to explore this by means of a central thought: preaching is both impossible and possible. True preaching of the Word of God is a human impossibility. But what is impossible with us humans is possible with God. Wesleyan preachers ought to remember this human impossibility of preaching even while we count on its divine possibility.

Why do Wesleyans in particular need to be reminded of the impossible possibility of preaching? Wesleyans embrace an optimism of grace. On the one hand, we are optimistic. Wesleyans reject a pessimism that thinks humans cannot be radically transformed in this life. On the other hand, we are graciously optimistic. Wesleyans reject an optimism of nature that thinks humans transform themselves. Our optimism is fueled by our confidence in God and what he can do. Now I believe this Wesleyan perspective to be the better part of wisdom. But we are perpetually tempted by it to slide into an optimism of nature. So we must be reminded again and again that our confidence rests not in ourselves but in the living God.

What does this have to do with preaching? When God calls us to preach he calls us to proclaim his Word. We are invited to speak not just about God but on behalf of God. We are God’s ambassadors, through whom he is making his appeal to the world. Who is equal to such a task? The possibility of speaking truthfully for God lies with God himself, not us. We must rely on God’s grace when we speak on God’s behalf.

The stakes are high. When we do not remember the impossible possibility of preaching, we begin to assign blame. We blame ourselves for our lack of skill, and thereby reduce preaching to a mere technique to be mastered. We blame our people for their lack of response, and thereby treat preaching like some high art or academic enterprise that some people just don’t get. We might even blame God for calling us to this task yet not sufficiently equipping us for it. And when we tire of blaming, we stop expecting God to be at work in preaching, settling for mere human instruction and other tasks we know we can control.

Instead of blaming or settling, we are called to rely on God’s grace. But what does it mean to rely on God’s grace in preaching? Our Wesleyan optimism might tempt us to easy answers. For instance, relying on God’s grace might be taken to mean that everything hangs on the personal piety of the preacher. If I’m close to God, then my preaching will be his Word. Now preachers ought to be close to God. But we all know that such closeness is no guarantee that our sermons will be the Word of God for our people. So something more is going on than just the personal piety of the preacher.

I am tempted to say that this “something more” is just a mystery. Maybe God just shows up when and where he wants and there’s nothing we can do about it. But that is not satisfying, nor is it true. For God has in fact revealed himself. Jesus is the definitive “when and where”—the one in whom God shows up. And so it is in him that we come to glimpse how human impossibility and divine possibility intersect. Jesus was crucified, manifesting the depths of our human poverty. No possibility remains for one who is dead. And yet God raised this Jesus from the dead, manifesting the heights of divine possibility even in the midst of human impossibility!

Now my sermon is not Jesus, who is the very incarnate Word of God. But in Jesus we see how God works. The pattern of this divine work applies to preaching. God initiates, giving us his Word. God graciously invites us to obey his Word. And our obedience culminates in trusting God to act when we cannot. This is the pattern of God’s work in Jesus Christ. Why would we expect something completely different from God’s work through the preaching of his Word?

One might reasonably object to this reminder of our human impossibility. Doesn’t this demoralize the preacher? Doesn’t it leave us without any sense of responsibility for the results of our preaching? That is certainly a risk. Preaching already feels nearly impossible to some of us. I do not wish to discourage my fellow preachers. Rather, I want to deliver them! It seems to me this reminder may deliver us from the inevitable despair that accompanies the lie that everything rests on me and my ability. And it may also deliver us for our human task, which is to be faithful to the Word God has given us. When we remember our human impossibility, we are freed to make full use of our human creativity, because we embrace our humanity for what it is.

How does this reminder shape the preaching life? At the very least, I can testify to how it has helped deliver me from anxiety and for creativity. When I ran out of stuff to say, I started praying, “Lord, I can’t do this. But you can. And because you can, somehow I can too.” This prayer freed me to stop trying so hard to preach and to start falling in love with preaching. I stopped focusing on the product (sermons), and focused more on the practice, life and art of preaching. And the more I realized how utterly human I am, the more human my sermons became—and so more enjoyable to prepare and hear. It was then that this broken human vessel was ready for God to do his thing. Perhaps my story is utterly singular, though I doubt it. Regardless, I am certain that this reminder is true: preaching is both a human impossibility and a divine possibility. And I am confident that Wesleyan preachers who remember this will feel less discouraged and more free!

John L. Drury is an Assistant Professor of Theology and Christian Ministry at Wesley Seminary. Follow him on Twitter.

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Power for Preaching

navets —  December 24, 2012 — 4 Comments

powerI want to write on a topic which initially may appear to be unrelated to preaching, yet for some may have significant implications to their sermons.

Here is what I am sensing in a nutshell:

I fear we engage too quickly in ‘mission and calling,’ without first having a transformation of heart, developing true substance to share, or having the evidence of God’s blessing and empowerment upon their lives.

Much of what I hear these days from emerging generations focuses on being involved in meaningful, front-line ministries.  We long to get their hands dirty; we want to make significant contributions to the betterment of this world by serving and helping the lost, the vulnerable, the least, the disadvantaged, and hurting.  These longings are to be applauded and encouraged.  I believe this loving concern springs from the heart of God.

Yet, in the recesses of my spirit I sense a troubling unsettledness.  As we interact with the hurting, as we serve those in need, and as we seek to make the world a better place, do we have what it takes to make a real difference?  Or, will we fail and flounder in epic ways because we are inadequate for the tasks and challenges that this kind of ministry makes us face?

Recently, a friend of mine who runs an inner city ministry told me of a number of individuals who had volunteered to provide ministry to the drug addicts, prostitutes and street-people, but ended up addicted and enslaved themselves.  He shared stories of well-meaning Christians who sensing the need to make a positive difference in this world, had ended up in bed with prostitutes and taking the very drugs from which they were trying to help people find deliverance. As a result, not only were their own lives ruined, but just as importantly, those in the streets began to look with well-justified suspicion on all gospel representatives and their message.

There is no doubt that Christians ought to be in the forefront of ministries in prisons, soup kitchens, helping immigrants, opposing the sex trade, protecting the weak, helping the run-away, defending the disadvantaged, and addressing other social injustices and crimes.  Yet, I am concerned that so few Christians are internally transformed themselves.  I am concerned that when I hear them speak, their words and advice are devoid of the wisdom of Christ. I am concerned there is little evidence of the power and blessing of God upon their lives.

I am not addressing the situation where a volunteer lacks experience or the circumstance where a person is still lacking in normal human development and maturity. What I am speaking of is the same thing John Wesley addressed when he wrote in his journal, “I went to America to convert the Indians but, oh, who shall convert me? “  Those who study Wesley’s ministry to the America’s know his intentions and motivations were noble, but he lacked the internal wherewithal to genuinely help others. As a result, he left North America defeated and disgraced with little-to-no fruit to show for his labours.  It was not until later in his life, after he himself was transformed, equipped, and empowered by the power of God, did he become a force for good and God in this world.  I fear the passion of this generation to jump into front-line social justice and compassion ministry will end much the same as Wesley’s early ministry if they are ill-equipped in heart and mind.

In fact, the only strength I see in many volunteers today is pity and concern.  There is no doubt they care, but they have no real solutions or hope to offer the world. They can sit and listen and offer some degree of physical care … but they can’t speak with conviction about ‘victory’ because there is so little victory in their own lives.  They can’t share the wisdom of God into the lives of the unwise because these believers have spent such little time devotionally ingesting God’s wisdom for their own development.  They can’t offer supernatural help and deliverance because God’s power is not evident or resident in their own life.  As a result, those who so desperately need deliverance and victory, remain lost, hopeless and enslaved.

Perhaps, it is time for those of us who preach to raise a warning flag that ministry without substance is a sham. Mission without character is doomed.  Service without power is meaningless.

Perhaps, it is time for those of us who feel called to the ministry of preaching to look inside ourselves to see if we are first transformed, enlightened, and empowered before tackling the mission God has given us.

elliot_stephenStephen Elliot is the Director of Pastoral Ministries & Church Planting at Kingswood University in New Brunswick, Canada.

Find him on Facebook here.

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Focus Your Sermon in a Word

navets —  December 10, 2012 — Leave a comment

magnifying_glassSince leaving the pastorate in 2005 to become the Program Director of Pastoral Ministries and Church Planting at Kingswood University, I and my family have taken full advantage of the opportunity to visit dozens and dozens of churches in the U.S., Canada and internationally, ranging from mega-churches to the tiniest of congregations, including Wesleyan, Pentecostal, Baptist, Independents, Mennonites, Christian, etc.  As we drive away from the Sunday morning worship service, we often have a discussion which revolves around “What did the pastor preach about this morning?”

I now have a whole new appreciation for one of the most common complaints parishioners have. It is the great difficulty they have in following what their pastor is saying in the sermon. What is the pastor preaching about this morning?

One of the principle reasons why so many pastors bewilder their congregation is: the sermon lacks focus. Time and again I have heard sermons which are all over the map… almost like the preacher has A.D.D. (attention deficit disorder), flitting from one subject/concept/idea/point to another, sharing disjointed thoughts and insights until the congregation has no idea what they are talking about.

I have wondered recently if, in part, this is because of an unfortunate misunderstanding of the practice of Expository preaching.  While it is true Expository preaching aims to reveal (expose) what the Bible passage is saying, this does not imply the sermon does not need to have a focus.  A biblical passage/text and story can contain dozens of wonderful and challenging insights … but if the sermon lacks focus, the congregation leaves the service having no idea what you were talking about or how it applies to their lives.

Every sermon, whether Topical, Thematic, Expository or Textual, needs to revolve around ONE word, the subject.  Every person who hears the sermon, ought to be able to summarize into one word what that sermon was about.  “What did the pastor preach on today?”  He/She spoke about “MERCY”.

It needs to be that simple:  each sermon needs to have a one word subject (or at most a hyphenated word).    I wonder, can you state in one word what the preacher was talking about this past Sunday?

The preaching of the Word, is different than the writing and reading of the Word.  A book like Colossians deals with multiple topics.  Even within 1 chapter or a paragraph, there may be a dozen or more issues the biblical writer is addressing.  Writing and reading is different than preaching. Effective preaching tends to zone in on one subject.  Every point, illustration and application revolves around that one word.  There may be multiple things (ideas/insights/points) the preacher says about that subject, but everything centers on that one word.

Over and over again, great communicators say the same thing:

“The sermon cannot be about more than one topic.” (Joseph Webb)

“How many things can a sermon be about?  One!” (Bryan Chappel)

“A single idea you want to communicate” (Andy Stanley)

“A sermon should be a bullet, not buckshot … a single dominant idea.” (Haddon Robinson)

This week in our Homiletics class we took a look at Matthew 9:35-36.  In this passage we see Jesus: went, saw, felt, taught and ministered.  If we approached this passage in an UNfocused manner, we could easily end up preaching the sermon in this way:

Jesus went: talk about the important role of traveling, itinerant evangelist
Jesus saw: talk about being thankful for our physical senses, such as sight
Jesus felt: talk about the human/divine nature of Jesus, that He feels what we feel
Jesus taught: talk about various teaching and discipling techniques
Jesus ministered: talk about exorcisms and healings

If a pastor preaches about Matthew 9:35-36 in the manner I just outlined, she/he would be ‘true’ to the text and expounding good Biblical truth, but the congregation would leave the service confused and bewildered.  “What did the preacher talk about today?”  “I don’t know … it was a mess and left me confused … it had something to do with demons and traveling evangelist and being grateful for being able to see.”

Instead, find a way to condense the passage into one word (or hyphenated word) and then expound on your text.  For instance, Matthew 9:35-36 can be condensed into a hyphenated word “Effective-ministry”.  Now preach the same 5 insights from Matthew 9:  “Effective ministry entails: going, seeing, feeling, teaching and healing”. As people leave the sanctuary, there will be no doubt what the sermon was about. It was about “Effective-ministry”. The one word subject becomes the glue that holds the sermon together, keeps the thoughts from being ‘scattered’, and makes it easy to follow and memorable.

The congregation may not agree with everything you say … but at least they will know what you were talking about.

For Further Thought:

  1. Name what you were talking about in last Sunday’s sermon in one or two words. Now ask a few people to do the same for you without telling them what you think you spoke about. If their words are different than yours significantly, you have a focus problem.
  2. Think of the most focused sermons you have ever heard. What verbal techniques did the preacher use to make sure you knew what the sermon was about?

Next week: We will post a sermon that fulfills what Stephen Elliott is suggesting as a focused sermon.

elliot_stephenStephen Elliot is the Director of Pastoral Ministries & Church Planting at Kingswood University in New Brunswick, Canada.

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