Saturday 31 July 2010

The Tone of Our Preaching/Counselling

There is one type of sermon or counsel which promises all manner of blessings then makes the whole scheme dependant upon the hearer performing a certain work or works; there is another type of sermon or counsel which the simple hearing of is enough to impart and empower with all manner of blessing!

Perhaps some people might change their own life after hearing the first type of sermon or counsel - but with the second type, it is the sermon or counsel itself which changes the life of the hearer!

May God help us to preach or give the type of sermons or counsel where ALL the hearer needs to do is BELIEVE! May we give the type of word which ITSELF produces FAITH in the hearers - words that "minister [impart, empower, equip with] GRACE to the hearers" (Eph.4:29).

One type of message makes your hearer go away knowing why he'll probably never become a spiritual 'millionaire' - the other makes your hearer feel that he's just become a spiritual 'millionaire' simply by hearing what you had to say. Praise Jesus!

Your audience will be more likely to ACT like spiritual 'millionaires' once they first KNOW they ARE spiritual 'millionaires'.

That's the type of message which actually produces growth.

"...but speaking the truth in LOVE
[i.e., in GRACE] may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself IN LOVE [i.e., in GRACE]" (Eph.4:15,16).

Grace produces the needed change.

Very often if someone is struggling, it's not so much because he doesn't know what he needs to do, but because he needs to experience the love and power of God which can miraculously, freely change him into the person he needs to be. Our words can give our hearers that experience.

The first type of sermon describes all the lovely scenery & destinations that your audience can drive to and then commands them to go search for a petrol station and buy petrol & fill up their tank otherwise they're gonna miss out; the second type of sermon makes your audience feel like their petrol tank is being filled up freely while just sitting there listening to you - with the result that they go out and drive :) :)

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