I used to believe that effective preaching should comfort
the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. I still believe this but with a
modification – we are all somewhat
comfortable and somewhat afflicted. This means that effective preaching should
afflict and comfort all of us.
How is preaching to afflict us? It must preach sin – not only
the things that we do wrong but also the things that we neglect to do. We have
failed to raise our voices on behalf of our persecuted brethren. Across the
Islamic world, our brethren have become the objects of persecution, even of
genocide. Tens of thousands of Christians are being routinely slaughtered, and
many of our churches remain silent. But silence is culpable:
- Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done? (Proverbs 24:11-12)
If we do not fulfill our responsibility in this regard, we
cannot point the indicting finger against the governments, media, and
universities of the West for remaining silent. Meanwhile, these institutions
are asking, “Why is the church silent regarding their own brethren!” This is doubly
tragic, because it is our loving concern for our brethren that is supposed to
demonstrate the reality of Christ in our midst and consequently, draw the
outsider to Him (John 17:20-23).
If we know to do right and don’t do it, we sin (James 4:17).
Why then are our churches not preaching against evil and our failure to address
it? In reference to the evil of abortion, World
Magazine offers several reasons for the silence:
- Preaching on the issue might seem uncool or anti-intellectual.
- Preaching on the issue might discomfort church members or hurt women in the congregation who’ve had abortions. (Jan. 25, 2014, 42)
Effective preaching should discomfort so that it also might
comfort! The Apostle Paul did not want to cause his churches sorrow. However,
he charged them with sin so that they might experience real comfort and healing:
- Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. (2 Cor. 7:8-11)
“Godly sorrow” produces real
comfort, earnestness and healing. This should be the aim of effective
preaching. However, such preaching must also provide the elixir of grace. Paul
understood the sorrow of the Corinthian church within the framework of grace.
The sorrow was what “God intended” in His mercy to produce the healing of
repentance.
I think that we have lost our taste for the offensive –
preaching to convict of sin. “Fire and brimstone” preaching has been broadly
discredited, and is now seen/experienced as “politically incorrect.” However,
this is the very thing we need.
Nevertheless, I must confess that I had utterly abhorred this
type of sermon – the “try harder, do better” sermon. I would often leave church
feeling like useless trash, incapable of doing better. I felt like a spiritual
failure. Consequently, I resented the pastor and everyone else in the church
who seemed to resonate to this kind of preaching. Instead, I wanted the
grace-sermon – the sermon that would tell me that I was okay just as I am.
For me the works-sermon was a denial of grace, and the
grace-sermon was a denial of works and the need for obedience. However, as I
grew in my appreciation and assurance of grace, I began to understand that the
two – grace and obedience – were actually complementary and not antagonistic.
They worked together in supporting each other.
I now hope to be convicted of my sin and to see anew how
unworthy I am of the grace of God. Why endure this grief? When I do endure it,
it brings me back to something far sweeter – the reminder that God loves and
forgives me, despite my unworthiness (Luke 17:10). How precious then is His
grace, renewed for me through this kind of preaching! This process does not allow
grace to become something stale but rather activates it to the point of tears.
It brings grace before me as a living Entity – “He loves me; He loves me, and I
don’t deserve a morsel of it!”
Pastor Mark Driscoll preaches an anti-abortion sermon regularly
to a church where many have either had or encouraged an abortion:
- “You men who have encouraged, forced or paid for the abortion, you women who have killed your own child, murdered your own child… The good news is that Jesus died for the murderers… You need Jesus, and you need him to forgive you for your murder, and he will.” (44)
World reports that
one woman “began worshipping and weeping”:
- Then her four living children hugged her, supported by her husband. Eventually, she started comforting another post-abortive woman. (44)
Now that’s healing! World
mentions another reason why pastors are reluctant to preach on sin, namely
abortion:
- Preaching on the issue might politically stigmatize the pastor or politicize the pulpit, scaring seekers off. (42)
Perhaps to the contrary - the seeker might see the healing,
relief, and comfort that result from both the preaching of sin and grace and note the authenticity and
sincerity of the community that emerges from such biblical preaching.
No comments:
Post a Comment