Preaching the Word...

[Simon..]

I am a preacher within the British Methodist church and often wonder what effect preaching really has to those who come...

Whilst recognising the Biblical command to preach, is there a place for preaching today? Is it a relevant way of sharing the Gospel?

 

[RevRJB]

yes... I shall expand on this in a while...

 

[raphael_aa]

The form that preaching has taken still seems to be set in a model of a bygone age .... where an 'expert' tells us commoners what we 'need' to know.

I believe a method more in line with our society and our understandings about pedagodgy is a more informal discussion style with input from all the parties.

 

[RevRJB]

yes... I shall expand on this in a while...

It is... I think that the word of God spoken forth and expounded can indeed be relevant - especially as that is the reason many people come to church - however with newer theories on communication such as VAKs it is imperative that we incorporate discussion and so forth too... Then again watching a movie is as enlightening as a sermon sometimes! TBC.....

 

[Everglaze]

Yes, it's a relevant way of sharing the Gospel and will always be. If there was no real preaching, we'd have scattered groups everywhere with no one being able to correct, rebuke and encourage with the word of God.

I find that preaching is more effective than JUST showing the love of God because with the word of God spoken in a large room of people, you can reach out to more souls at once.

Well, at least for me...I've preached on several occasions and it seems more effective for me.

 

[ccunning001]

Preaching works as long as you challenge the people to do several things. 1) search the scripture themselves to see that what is taught is correct (Acts 17:11). 2) Be challenged to change some ungodly or error in their ways (James 1:22). Challenge the listener to grow up in Christ so they can become mature preachers of the word (1 Corinthians 3:2). There are more reasons to preach than just these, but they help me get through every sunday.

 

[Dr. Mac]

However foolish preaching may seem to some, it is still the commanded means the living God has ordained to employ for sending forth His Word. The seeming weakness of the means, the method, and even the messenger provide excellent opportunity for Him to show Himself strong and mighty to save. He, then, and He alone, receives the credit and glory.

 

[pugby]

Preaching is relevent as long as it is biblical. When the Preacher is more concerned with how people will react than what the Word clearly states, it becomes irrelevent. The Bible is very clear on many subjects which are controversial in the church. The church needs to focus more on what God's Word actually says and less on what the people want it to say and the church can restore its throne of relevancy.

 

[plmarquette]

to provoke or evoke the gift within people Proverbs 29.18
to explain what to do ... Hosea 4.6
to sow a dream ... Habakkuk 2.2
to provide an atmosphere... to grow
to afflict the comphortable and to comfort the afflicted

 

[throne]

Hi everybody,
Thanks for all your comments. preaching is about the person. Understanding the person's pain, anguish, challenges, his goals in life, his fears and most important He or She as a whole person. When we preach it is important to be relevant and suited to the needs and to that particular person.

Thanks
Anthony Zheng Gao

 

[bythegraceofgodgoi]

in my humble opinion i say yes..

 

[Simonline]

I am a preacher within the British Methodist church and often wonder what effect preaching really has to those who come...

Whilst recognising the Biblical command to preach, is there a place for preaching today? Is it a relevant way of sharing the Gospel?

Are you an ordained Methodist minister or a local preacher?

The answer to your question depends on whether or not the preacher is annointed of God and obedient to Him or whether they follow the Methodist ecclesiastical tradition or their own theological or spiritual predilictions? I know that there are many Godly preachers within the Methodist denomination who live only to serve their master but there are also many heretics within the Methodist denomination who also live only to serve their master. One day the true master will return and have the wheat separated from the tares.

The preaching of the Kingdom is an integral part of the Judeo-Christian faith and one that must not be sacrificed for a different gospel (Gal.1:8-9).

Simonline.

 

[Simonline]

The form that preaching has taken still seems to be set in a model of a bygone age .... where an 'expert' tells us commoners what we 'need' to know.

I believe a method more in line with our society and our understandings about pedagogy is a more informal discussion style with input from all the parties.

Nice in theory but it ends up being a pooling together of people's ignorance rather than spiritual edification based upon the Divine Revelation that is the Word of God. God has specifically declared that the Church is His Body of which He alone is the head and He has determined that the Body should be lead by an annointed leadership who follow the specific teachings of the Messiah and the 'first generation' twelve apostles. The Church is not and never has been a democracy. It is and always has been (and will forever remain) a theocracy under the lordship of the Messiah/Christ. The truth is that God is an Absolute Dictator Who brooks no dissent but the flip-side of the coin is that membership of the Kingdom is always voluntary.

The Truth by its very nature is both absolute and Immutable (Mal.3:6; Jn.14:6; 17:17) and is not subject to the ever-changing whims of sinful humans (even religious sinful humans). As such truth is implacably intolerant of all that is false and one day God will return to Earth in order to hold His sinful and rebellious creatures to account for their sinful rebellion. This may be extremely unpopular in the world today but this is what God has declared through His Word (Isa.40:6-8) and if the track record of all the other Biblical prophesies are anything by which to go then this one will be fulfilled just as surely as have been the other approximately 85% that have so far been fulfilled to the letter?

Simonline.

 

[mrjerseys]

Then again watching a movie is as enlightening as a sermon sometimes!

 

[branchofthevine]

the true power of the preacher comes from a life of intimate prayer with Jesus. I'm sure people who have gone before us like Spurgeon, Wesley, Murray, Ravenhill, and others have their whole lives as a testimony to that.

 

[awakeningekklesia]

The word never returns void. God moves even when you think he's not