Why We Listen...
As a continuation to my previous post, I would like for us to think about the purpose of why we are to listen and give our attention to the individual designated within our congregation, that being the Pastor, who is breaking the bread of life, the Word of God. A lot of people come to church to be entertained, to be amused, or to be given something "interesting." This will ultimately lead both to an unbiblical view of what it means to "preach the Word" as well as an unbiblical view of why we attend church. We attend Church to hear the Word of God spoken and taught and to worship and glorify God corporately as a body of believers. Many other things take place as well, obviously. But it most not be forgotten that all through Scripture the Word is the central focus for our times of corporate worship. I have heard it said many times, and from a variety of sources, "The preaching and worship at my church simply does not change my life - I go for the relationships." Since in my last post I touched on the fallacy that the purpose of Church is to foster meaningful relationships, I will focus here on the degridation of the Word in today's church culture.A common verse to all who love the Word is 2 Timothy 4:1:
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (ESV)This is the basic attitude behind the line "I've heard many preachers who claim to be something great, but are just average." You are not going to hear a person! When we enter a place of worship, a Bible study, or any other location where the Word is being preached, we should be going to hear God speak through His Word. When we need counsel, advice, or guidance, our beginning point should always be the Word, not a person. Therefore, for those who say that they "do not get anything out of the preaching," or "I've heard a lot of preachers whose preaching didn't change my life with their teaching," the problem MOST LIKELY is not with the preacher, but with the listener. If the preacher is preaching the Word of God, not topically, but in a manner that truly lays out the Word, those in attendance cannot say that they didn't get anything out of it and blame that on the preacher. If the Word is proclaimed and anyone is able to say that it did not "change their life," that is a spiritual problem, not the problem of the Word being effective.
We do place too high a value on the actual person proclaiming the Word today. Too many people follow a person, not The Person of Christ. Too many people seek relationships instead of the only Relationship that matters - that with Jesus Christ. Too many people seek community, not life change. Too many people seek experience instead of God-honoring worship. Too many people seek teachers who will tickle their ears with teaching that "meets their felt needs" instead of seeking a Christ honoring, God-exalting pastor who seeks to break the Bread of Life in a manner that truly brings glory to God through doctrinal integrity and sound preaching of the Word.
Next time you are in worship or in a Bible study and you say "I just didn't get anything out of that," examine your own heart, not the heart of the one doing the preaching. The Word of God stands forever, and never returns void (Isaiah 55:11).
posted by Tim Morrison @ 2:21 PM
2 Comments:
Somtimes we're misunderstood. From my perspective it's not that I dont like church. I love church and the reason I go is for my relationships with other Christians whom God has blessed my life with. When trouble arises, who do we go to?.... our pastor? our our trusted friends? whenever I'm troubled I go to my close friends who have moral authority that i can trust....hmmmm for example like with the trials northeast has been facing recently. I trust my friend Scott and My amazingly caring friend Dave Willis. I do believe that it is sometimes both the pastor and the beleiver. For me it's been pastors not that I'm saying you're wrong because there have also been times where it's me being obstinant and maybe apathetic. The reason I go is to worship God and not through our cheesy little songs or our God forbid sermon outlines lol...but, I go to celebrate God and all he is and all he's done and I do this with friends. We talk of the things God's doing in our lives, the things that bug us or that we're struggling with. God made church about relationships, he wants our walk with him to be a relationship. If you notice Christ didn't go to the religious scholars to make friends but to the prostitutes, drunks, and last people we would want to be seen with. He didn't make friends by preaching (I'm not saying he dind't preach because he did alot!! nor am I saying we should just quit preaching I think we should continue with this new mind set)I encourage everyone including myself to keep your unchristian friends close and love them just to love them like Christ did. In the end with my friends, we always find a way to lift our Glass of wine to God in remembrance and celebration of what He's done but, we feel like he's there with us laughing, sharing stories and loving us. This probably isn't a difference of opinion just perspective,.. since you're a pastor and I'm just a big music dork-Ben
Well, no, I think it's a difference of opinion, not just perspective. Which is fine, since we are both entitled to our opinions. There are two vastly different views being taken by young people today, and they can really be broken down into two groups - emergent and Reformed. It's obvious that you and I fall into these two categories, too. Me in one and you in the other. So, it's okay that we differ, obviously. I can't think of hardly anything we have agreed on, so why start now! LOL.
I guess it comes down to this: I believe that Christ created the Church to be the avenue through which His Word would go forth, preaching (not felt needs garbage, but true preaching) would occur, and discipleship would take place. Obviously, like I said, relationships play a part in that, but not the primary part by any means.
It'll be interesting to see what others think of this, if they read our rantings.
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