Special Lecture

May 20, 2023

The necessity of preaching is lost on many people today. It seems strange to sit and listen to someone else’s interpretation of what the Bible says. The church attender is expected to listen attentively for twenty or thirty minutes, with no opportunity to ask questions or offer an opinion.

It is a pretty unique situation. Even in the classroom, monologues don’t usually last that long. The sermon, though, is a major part of nearly all worship services.

Anyone can read the Bible himself or herself and find meaning. It is important, though, to hear an interpretation of scripture from someone else, lest you manufacture your own personal religion. You could be way off! A pastor has spent years in training in how to find the deeper meanings in the Bible. During the week (or more) before the sermon is preached, the pastor has spent hours in prayer and focused study on the particular passage of scripture he or she will be preaching on.

In some cases the sermon is presented in monotone or read from a manuscript. That requires more work by the listener. On the opposite end of the scale, a preacher might be so flamboyant that the meaning of scripture gets lost in waving arms and odd facial expressions! That kind of presentation also requires work from the listener.

I became a pastor over thirty years ago, and have always been awed by the responsibility of presenting each Sunday’s sermon to an expectant congregation. They want to hear from God through me! And God does use ordinary humans like me to change lives, time and time again.

Don’t sit home on Sundays. God has prepared a feast.

“Preach the message, be ready whether it is convenient or not, reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete patience and instruction.” 2 Timothy 4:2