Deeper preaching

Someone told me they wanted "deeper" preaching. So here are four reasons why I don't preach deeper than I do:

1. One person's definition of "deeper" is another person's definition of "drowning." There is a spectrum of listeners in the congregation. There are people who don't know the books of their Bible, if they bring their Bibles. Just say the word "sanctification" and you have lost some. Others want a story or personal anecdote or more humor. A few want to know the Greek grammer behind the text - very few. If I were a swimming instructor, sure I could take everyone out to the middle of the ocean, but I wouldn't. I'm responsible for the novices as well as for those who think they are pros. Some think they're ready, others are scared of getting wet.

2. I thought I was already pushing the church's limit. Right now I'm on the last month of an eight-month, verse by verse journey through Philippians. To my knowledge, no one in the church's past has preached this long on a book of the Bible, and I've gone faster than I originally planned. I waited almost a year before I started because I knew it would be a stretch for many. Philippians has brought us face to face with one doctrinal truth after another. Sometimes defining a Greek word or giving some first-century context has been necessary. Stories aren't my forte and I preach for 45 minutes, so surely I am going somewhat deep.

3. I'm not seasoned or disciplined enough to go deeper. When I think of going "deeper" I think of pulling out all the truths and applications that lie within God's Word. There are wondrous riches there if we would linger longer over the text and the practical relevance to our lives is endless. The human heart is complex and cherished idols and thought-patterns are hard to overcome. I truly want to be a better surgeon (physician of the soul) than I am but I feel like I'm just beginning my pastoral ministry and I'm too scattered yet to meditate long over the Word and over the needs of the people as I should. I hope I continue to grow and mature and become the preacher my people need.

4. A friend, Wayne in fact, is fond of challenging the notion of going "deeper." He likens it to kneeling at the edge of a beautiful, clear, deep mountain lake. The peaks and clouds reflect on the surface. If you leave the shore to go "deep" you won't be able to breathe, he says, it is a foreign environment down there. But if you linger at the water's edge, looking intently and are faithfully attentive there, God will faithfully bring up from the depths what you need to see and hear and know. He says going "deeper" is often an excuse for ignoring and disobeying what we already see plainly. Until we are obeying what we already know, says Wayne, what is the benefit of more depth? I think Wayne is on to something.

Being told your preaching isn't deep enough or relevant enough or inspiring enough or humorous enough or whatever can be deflating. This is why ordinary pastors must live upon the cross and seek their praise and approval from God. It could be that God is using comments like that to prevent inflated views of ourselves. It works.

Shaking free of praise

On my last trip to the book store at the Desiring God Pastor's Conference I found this paperback by Erwin Lutzer called, "Pastor to Pastor, Tackling the Problems of Ministry." I started it immediately and recommend it to ordinary pastors.

Chapter two tackled a congregation's expectations. A few statements really spoke to me. Actually, they spoke about me.

"If we are self-conscious, always wondering how well we are liked, we'll soon be slaves to the pulse of our popularity."

"When we're overly sensitive to what others think, we'll also live with guilt - the nagging feeling that we could be doing more."

"The desire for human praise and the faith to minister cancel each other - seek the one and the other eludes you."

"If we are especially sensitive, if we cannot tolerate differences of opinion, and if we refuse to learn from criticism, we're still clinging to our reputation."

Jesus, writes Lutzer, was free from man's opinions about Him. He was surrendered to His Heavenly Father, secure, and "free from actions motivated by a desire for human praise." To be like Him, Lutzer offers this counsel:

1. Don't let people push you into their mold.
2. Profit from criticism.
3. Don't be afraid to let your humanity show.
4. Don't see the success of another as a threat to your ministry.

Men's praise, I hate to admit, is one of my idols. I know it and I'm fighting it. I'm praying for the grace to finally shake free of caring about what others think of me or say about me.

Your sermons aren't relevant

The youth minister was just being honest. He was explaining why the teenagers haven't been in the service regularly. "They don't think your sermons are relevant," he said.

What's new. I felt the same way when I was a teenager, only the words "relevant" and "irrelevant" weren't in my vocabularly. But my parents didn't give me the choice of skipping the service. They didn't side with me like so many parents do today.

I can't stand the whole "relevancy" criticism. It is the easiest, laziest complaint there is. Every pastor I know wants to be relevant! The trouble is discerning what's relevant to everybody. Besides, the Word of God IS relevant no matter what we think about the sermon. While we could always apply the Word better than we do, sometimes I think the problem isn't relevancy but expectations.

Anyway, the criticism stuck. No one wants to be told their sermons are irrelevant. It's a little deflating because you have worked hard preparing those sermons. It's a little hurtful because you love those students. Its a little exacerbating because here is yet another group in the church you cannot please.

What good things can I take away from this revelation?

1. It is good to know what the students are thinking and feeling even if I don't like it. Maybe I can address this with them sometime, ask them what "relevant' means to them, show them I'm willing to listen and learn from what they have to say. Maybe they will learn from something I have to say.

2. It is good to cause me to evaluate my preaching. Do I preach with life-change in mind? Do I preach for transformation and not just information? Do I work as hard at applying the text as I do at explaining the text? Am I keeping my flock in mind, not in order to please them, but in order to reach their hearts? Have I forgotten certain segments of the congregation? Have I fallen into a rut? Etc.

3. It is good for me spiritually to hear criticism instead of avoiding it or hiding my head in the sand. God means to use the criticism we receive as pastors for our sanctification. All kinds of sinful emotions and attitudes lie dormant until we are criticized. Some of the complaints are true and reveal how willing I am to listen and change. Some of the complaints are wrong and reveal how willing we are to forgive and and show grace. My response could manifest pride and we know God resists the proud.

As with everything else, humility is the way to move forward. Receiving criticism as from the Lord rather than from teenagers. Lord, help me to do this.