The Power Of A Good Question: Evaluating The Sermon Before You Preach
So
what might we ask? Here are some sample questions to prompt our evaluative juices:
Is the sermon appetizing? Is it healthy? Does it energize? Is it tasty? Does
it have sensory appeal? Would I want to eat it? Is it balanced? Is it hearty?
Will it stick with me? Will it bring people back to the table? Will it encourage
trying other new foods? Did it satisfy? Did it leave me wanting more? Do I walk
away, only to be hungry again too quickly? Do I feel as if I've over-eaten?
Each
Sunday people walk in the door and sit in the seats, weak and ill. They are
in serious need of healing and strengthening. The food the world has fed them
has poisoned them and left them without strength. The constant onslaught of
misplaced values and misleading lies weakens and drains them of spiritual health
and energy.
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Ezekiel
cried, "the weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed"
(vs. 4). God replied, "I will strengthen the weak" (vs. 16). God will
see to it that His people are energized to carry on. If there is spiritual illness
or weakness, He will see to it there is healing and strength. Jesus said it
this way, "come unto me, all you who are weary, and I will give you rest."
Paul said to the Thessalonians, " . . . encourage the timid, help the weak . . . "
(5:14).
Preaching
serves to heal and strengthen. In the context of "proclamation" and
"a door for our message," Paul says we are to let our "conversation
be seasoned with salt" (Col. 4:2-6). For the rabbis, "seasoning with
salt" was a figure of speech for applying the word of God to the needs
of men.10 This image is one of finding a person's need,
their hurt, and applying the appropriate scripture to that need.
People
live in a world that specializes in tearing them apart. The sermon, in the context
of worshiping a loving God, should build and heal. Perhaps the words of Paul
(spoken not in the context of preaching, nor specifically to preachers) might
yet be good for preachers to hear, "do not let any unwholesome talk come
out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according
to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" (Ephesians 4:29).
Preaching
Scripture both diagnoses and prescribes. There is something about the Word of
God that allows the Holy Spirit to find the source and not merely the symptom
(Hebrews 4:12). Nearly every preacher has had the experience of listening to
parishioners reflect on the message they've just heard. One will say, "you
can't believe how helpful it was when you said . . . " At that moment we
realize we did not say that; but God did. Through the power of the preached
word, God spoke (1 Thessalonians 2:12). A disease was diagnosed, a weakness
was identified, and healing begun. Such is the incredible power of preaching
the Bible.