Common Problems in Modern Preaching

From topical sermons with too little law and gospel, to theological lectures that fail to connect with listeners, Andrew Webb discusses some common problems in modern preaching, both in reformed and non-reformed circles.

Making Church Cool in 1897

Trying to make church appealing to disinterested youngsters is nothing new. Today, it's pop music and skinny jeans. In the late 1800's, it was Gilbert and Sullivan:

Unpublished Journals from Spurgeon's Early Years

Desiring God's Tony Reinke recently interviewed Spurgeon scholar Tom Nettles, the Professor of Historical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Nettles is the author of the forthcoming book Living by Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Also interviewed was theologian and author Christian George, the Jewell and Joe L. Huitt Assistant Professor of Religious Education at Oklahoma Baptist University. It was while he was studying in London a few years ago that George discovered 11 journals kept by the Prince of Preachers during the early years of his ministry. The journals contain unpublished sermons and various drawings of birds, showing Spurgeon's artistic side:

Professor George is currently transcribing Spurgeon's journals for publication.

The Supremacy of Christ

Joel Osteen Isn't Leaving the Christian Faith After All

I'm sure many of you have already seen this video about Joel Osteen leaving the Christian faith:


Turns out it's just a hoax. *Whew!* What a relief!

Yeah, I fell for it. I mean, I was really starting to believe that Osteen had abandoned the true gospel message in favor of some whitewashed version of the prosperity gospel. It's nice to know that couldn't be further from the truth, and that Lakewood Church remains a bastion of Word-centered preaching.

So What's the Deal with John Piper's Hand Gestures?

From PiperGIFs.com

My wife and I have been members of Bethlehem Baptist Church for the past several years and have greatly appreciated the teaching of John Piper. Known for his dynamic and animated preaching style, he recently addressed a couple questions regarding his hand gestures on the Ask Pastor John podcast:

It is possible to leap and wave and holler and entertain and say nothing and be useless. And I don’t want to do that. Therefore gestures in my mind are not of the essence of the demonstration of the Spirit and power. That is just not what they are, because people can listen to sheer audio of messages and have their lives changed. They can’t see you at all when that is happening. …

Whatever I do in the pulpit just comes naturally and I have never studied gesture. I have never planned gesture. I don't think about gesture while I am preaching. … For me, it is just who I am and what I do and it is part of my language.

Listen to the full episode here.

Talk During a Sermon, Get Publicly Humiliated

Imagine you're a pastor. A member of the congregation is talking during your sermon. What's the best way to prevent that person from becoming too much of a distraction for those around him? Call attention to the talker and ensure that he becomes a distraction for everyone.


If a preacher is that easily distracted, one has to wonder if what he has to say is really all that important.

(via 22 Words)

All-Reformed Radio, All the Time

Ligonier Ministries introduces RefNet (short for Reformation Network), 24-hour internet radio dedicated to the historic Christian faith. Along with teaching and sermons from the likes of R. C. Sproul, Alistair Begg, and John Piper, it also features audiobooks, scripture reading, music, news, and more. It's available as an app for your mobile device, but you can also listen online through the RefNet web site.

A Sermon to the Governor and Legislature of Idaho

In response to the Supreme Court's ruling on Obama's socialized health care plan, Doug Wilson preached this sermon focusing on the biblical role of government.

What to Do When You Run Out of Sermon Ideas

If your well has run dry, and you just can't come up with any compelling sermon ideas, do what Pastor John Van Sloten of New Hope Church does: let popular musicians do the preaching for you.

Gospel Weak

"Life is about swimming with a pack of predators." Thus began a sermon preached recently by Ed Young of Fellowship Church as part of his "Shark Weak" series.

The point of this particular series was to show us that we all lack the strength to face problems in life when we're ill-prepared. "We all swim with sharks," Young continued, circling around a 12-foot shark planted in the middle of the stage. "What are you dealing with? What is your shark?" I was immediately reminded of that old, hackneyed sermon lesson from the story of David and Goliath: "What are the giants in your life? Here are five stones you can use to defeat them…"

Young's congregation was treated to a video of his scuba diving trip in the Bahamas to swim with those feared predators of the deep. They witnessed their pastor getting a few tips from his instructor and then, once he was suited up, taking the Nestea plunge into a swarm of hungry sharks.

The rest of the sermon was peppered with random verses from the Bible that lent support to Young's message. For example, he quoted Matthew 10:16: "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves," changing "wolves" to "Great White sharks" to tie it all together.

He wanted his sermon to prepare his congregation to go out and face their problems unafraid. It was, in Young's own words, a "pre-dive safety talk," and he compared God-breathed scripture to a diver's regulator, allowing one to breathe while swimming among life's sharks.

Young didn't go into much detail, leaving one to conclude that the sharks in life could include anything from a difficult co-worker to terminal cancer. He concluded up his pre-dive safety talk by encouraging his listeners to make sure they follow their diving checklists: "Listen intently, see clearly, breathe deeply, swim confidently, and God will take you to depths that you never dreamed possible."

A half-hour sermon, and that's the takeaway? No discussion of sin. No mention of God's sovereignty or decree giving an ultimate purpose for the evil we may encounter. A brief pep-talk about how God can make your life better seems to be a common theme for most pastors these days.

Rather than worrying about his congregation being shark weak, Pastor Young should be concerned about them being gospel weak. How were his words meant to encourage anyone facing real adversity?

Scripture tells us that believers will endure hardships in this life. We are, after all, living in a fallen world that is in rebellion against God. Christ's words to his disciples in Matthew 10 were a warning that they were going to suffer persecution and even death for the sake of the gospel. He explained that his followers "will be hated by all for my name's sake" (Matt. 10:22).

The life of the Christian is one marked by suffering and persecution (Luke 21:12, Rom. 8:16-17, 2 Cor. 1:6, Phil. 1:29, 1 Pet. 2:20, 3:14-17, 4:16-19). Indeed, it is because the very One we follow suffered and died in our place that we have any hope at all. Nothing we face in this world can overcome that. "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Rom. 8:18).

It is no surprise that few pastors seem willing to truly exposit God's word for their congregations. Hebrews 4:12 reminds us that "the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart," and that can be infinitely more intimidating than any shark.

Putting Sermons into Proper Perspective

Whenever you hear someone preach, ask yourself this question: Why did Christ need to suffer and die on a cross in order for this sermon to make sense? And pastors, it wouldn't hurt for you to ask yourselves the same question.

(As heard on the White Horse Inn, 11/22/09.)

How to Rid the Church of Goats

Today's Grace Gem is from D. J. Ward:

The best way to purify the church and keep it pure is to get rid of all the goats! And the best way to run the goats out of the church is to feed them sheep food. God's sheep will grow in grace under the preaching of grace, but goats will go hungry because they choke on sheep food. They will soon leave and go somewhere else. Preach sovereign grace!

John 3:19

The Unequaled Greatness of The Son of God

Tune in if You Can

A Message to Pastors and Churches

Pulpit Plagiarism

Why wrack your brain trying to come up with your own original sermons when it's so much easier to steal one from someone else? Galatiansc4v16 has the story.

Pastors, if you're going to use someone else's words rather than your own, why not just pick up a Bible? Trust me. Your congregation will love you for it -- even, no, especially if you quote it verbatim.

Don't Be Afraid to Offend

I have often said that if a preacher isn't offending someone, he probably isn't preaching the truth. Now, I realize that isn't a foolproof litmus test. We should always examine a message in light of scripture. But far too many men seem more concerned with making people feel comfortable than they are with preaching God's word.

Then, of course, there are men like...



(I don't really get the History Channel tie-in, but I thought it was a powerful video.)