Question for pastors

[2Timothy2]

Actually, more of a request. Do y'all think it would be possible to use fewer stories and more Scripture in your sermons? I know it is fashionable to use "illustrations", but some of these seem to be the whole sermon. I've even come across some well known and respected preachers who have claimed to know the individuals involved in their stories, only to find out later that the story was just a "sermon illustration" available to anyone. That's just an outright lie. Of couse, lying is a sin, but in a sermon?

Please, can we get back to God's word in sermons? "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God", not from stories or sermon illustrations.

 

[Macrina]

Actually, more of a request. Do y'all think it would be possible to use fewer stories and more Scripture in your sermons? I know it is fashionable to use "illustrations", but some of these seem to be the whole sermon. I've even come across some well known and respected preachers who have claimed to know the individuals involved in their stories, only to find out later that the story was just a "sermon illustration" available to anyone. That's just an outright lie. Of couse, lying is a sin, but in a sermon?

Please, can we get back to God's word in sermons? "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God", not from stories or sermon illustrations.

Will you join my congregation? And bring everybody you know who thinks like that? Wow, that would be great.

Seriously, one of my struggles as a preacher is trying to come up with "illustrations" for my sermons. I tend to stick pretty strictly with the scripture, and that, to some people, might be "boring." Thankfully, I have found a congregation that appreciates and is challenged by my preaching, even though I don't have a clever anecdote for everything. I do use examples from my own life or from people I know... when it's appropriate. But I don't always have something. I've always kind of felt bad about that, because preachers "should" be using lots more stories than I do.

So anyway, it's kind of a boost to know that not everyone wants to listen to a sermon that is a cross between a stand-up routine and story time.

 

[clonenomore]

I see your point, but I don't entirely agree. Let me see if I can explain why.

I know it is fashionable to use "illustrations", but some of these seem to be the whole sermon.

Let me start by laying out my biases. I am a "storytelling" preacher. I preach using illustrations and stories.

I don't do this to be "fashionable" (although I do agree that there are probably pastors out there that do). I preach this way primarily because that is my God-given design. That is how God made me. I think that God made me this way because those that He has called me to minister to need this type of interaction. These are people that have been alienated by the "traditional" church service.

Don't get me wrong -- I don't disregard the use of scripture. I preach based on topics that the Spirit has laid on my heart. I then use scripture to support the points that God has given me to make. I fully believe that the Word is a living, breathing document, and is powerful in use.

I believe that God desires that different people spread the same message in different ways. I've heard it explained this way: say we decide to attend a party in LA and we are leaving from my home in Atlanta. We agree to invite everyone that we come in contact with on our journey to come to this party with us. Our goal is the same. However, you decide that the best route for you to take in your sports car is to travel along the interstates. At every rest area, at every restaraunt, at every gas station that you stop at, you invite all those people. I decide that the best route for me to go in my pick-up truck is to travel the backroads -- again inviting everyone that I come in contact with to the party. Macrina decides that she should travel via airplane, inviting eveyone on the plane and in the airports on layovers to the party.

When we get to LA, there will be many more people there than if we had all traveled the same road. You will see people that me and Macrina will never see, and vice versa. So the goal is the same, but many more people will hear of the news because we traveled different roads.

It's the same with the Kingdom. Our goal is the same -- how we get there depends on how God made us. We each travel along the path that God has laid out for us, so that we can invite many more people to the party that is the Kingdom of God.

I guess what I'm saying in a roundabout way is that what works for you may not work for me -- and what works for me may not work for Macrina, or others. But it what God wants me to do to further the Kingdom.

Please don't take this as a slight to those that preach expository messages. I hope that I have made myself clear that we need preachers who are willing to preach using his or her God-given design -- and if God designed you to preach expository sermons, then there are people that need that that God wants you to minister to.

I will agree, however, that sometimes we do try to reduce the symbols of our beliefs too much to try to make non-believers comfortable. We remove the crosses from our worship gatherings, we reduce the role of scripture in the service. We don't need to do that. Non-believers expect to see those things. Most non-beleivers are very spiritual people -- they just haven't accepted the freely offered gift yet. They expect to see the cross -- they expect to see scripture from the Bible used. We should, and must, use these things.

 

[kidsminister]

As a children's pastor, I need to use illustrations in order to get the message across to the kids. As a result, when I am called on to preach to the congregation, I also use a lot of illustrations because that's what I'm used to.

I think that both have their place in a sermon. Jesus Himself used illustrations when He taught.

I'm not about the whole "seeker-sensitive" philosophy, where you eliminate Christian symbols and don't preach anything 'offensive' from the pulpit, and I think that may be where 2Timothy2 is coming from...I'm sick of that whole phenomeon, too. Sure, we may attract more people, but are we winning more souls? Still, if you can use an illustration to help people understand or relate to a Scripture that you are preaching from, why not?

 

[SoulFly51]

The greatest teacher ever used illustrations - His name is Jesus.

To put Scripture in today's terms is the best way to teach the people of this generation. I agree that the Word should be taught in every sermon, but stories and illustrations can be used to really drive a point home with people.

 

[Digimeister]

Will you join my congregation? And bring everybody you know who thinks like that? Wow, that would be great.

Seriously, one of my struggles as a preacher is trying to come up with "illustrations" for my sermons. I tend to stick pretty strictly with the scripture, and that, to some people, might be "boring." Thankfully, I have found a congregation that appreciates and is challenged by my preaching, even though I don't have a clever anecdote for everything. I do use examples from my own life or from people I know... when it's appropriate. But I don't always have something. I've always kind of felt bad about that, because preachers "should" be using lots more stories than I do.

So anyway, it's kind of a boost to know that not everyone wants to listen to a sermon that is a cross between a stand-up routine and story time.

 

[Digimeister]

Dear Brother in the Lord

I am a Pastor, who uses a mixed variety of illustrations depending on the point I am trying to make (or shall I say the Lord wants to convey) most of the people in my congregation are new believers and they tend to understand some of the complexities of scripture with simple bible staories (parables).

You cannot read the gospels without reading stories and parables about some event whether real of ficticious. Its not an excuse, its just the way it is.

As for me, I want to create an atmosphere of faith and if that means using sermon illustrations, humour, testimonies or something else, so be it.

Be blessed my friend.

 

[2timothy223]

* overlapping answer

 

[herev]

interesting--I understand the OP's concern. but goodness, give us a break sometimes. When we study and study and study to prepare for sermons, we seek out a way to convey that message to a congregation. Now, some church members learn through lectures and take notes even--they thrive on hearing an expository sermon with lots of exegesis--explaining God's word to them in minutes detail. Some even appreciate word studies (ie, "in the original Greek, the word actually means...").
But there are others who just can't follow on this level and simply do not learn this way. They need a picture to be drawn for them, Jesus (as has been mentioned) did this, ensuring that even those at the "lower" end of the specturm (not trying to indicate intelligence levels or maturity levels) would understand his words.
I personally would prefer to preach nothing but expository sermons, a favorite style of mine is a line-by-line sermon, but I can't preach to just a part of the congregation every week, therefore, I try--try--to include both in my sermons--illustrations and expository explanations. Some sermons and some texts lend themselves more towards one end of the specturm than the other, so the sermons are rarely the same from week to week. I have personally found this to be the most accepted by my congregations.
One thing is always certain--you simply cannot please everyone with every sermon--if you did, then either you're doing something wrong or you're preaching to a bunch of clones, with no individuality between them.

Tell your pastor what you like, but give him/her a break, too!

 

[HumbleBee]

Check out the links in my sig

 

[keeptrying]

I was just roaming around CF and came across this topic. I do understand what the OP is talking about but we need Pastor's with different teaching and preaching methods because we all learn differently. One Pastor's method of teaching may do nothing for me while it may totally blow someone else away and transform their life forever, that is why we need to be selective in the church we attend.
Now back to the OP's comments. I like illustrations and stories but I agree with the OP that I don't like it when the Paster says it personally happened to them or someone they know (unless it is true) because after awhile I begin to ask myself if all of these illustrations and stories are really personal. I would rather they just used the story. A popular preacher that comes to my mind is Joel Osteen. He seems to have lots of stories that personally happened to him or a close friend. After awhile, hmmmm?
No matter what your style of preaching as long as your preaching the truth and revealing the saving grace of Jesus Christ your great in this layperson's book. God Bless you all.

The preaching I don't like is the Pastor's who are so careful not to step on anyones toes. They skirt around every issue that might offend someone-- but that's a whole other topic.

 

[museltof]

I am a very experienced preacher, 61 years old with a theology degree (not I guess that the degree makes all that much difference).
Let me say that every preacher worth his salt must use illustrations to bring his points to life. If that does not happen you get one of those very dry sermons. Sure, Sunday School teachers must use more simple and obvious illustrations to capture the mind of a child but - guess what? - we are all children who have just grown up.
When I first started preaching my inexperience showed because I expected people to follow quite dry theological points. Preachers must instill passion in their preaching and the greater their experience of life and the more life experiences they can draw upon, with real passion, the better they become!

 

[himstar]

I am not a pastor yet (I am going to be ordain in September) but I preach about 8 years.

So this is my points.

1. the bases of sermon is the God’s word. Bible is not the argument of my idea. Bible is the source of my idea.

2. Jesus used stories very often so we can do it.

3.The stories help people to understand the truth and use the idea in life

4. If we use a bible stories We must be honest with their meaning.

I use the illustration almost every point of my sermon.

 

[dodad91]

As a pastor of 27 years, I can openly agree with several of the remarks in reference to illustrations. Without illustrations, you simply can't convey the meaning of scripture in most cases. The congregation that I pastor, there are ALL types of people. People from all walks of life who vary in degrees of thinking as well as profession.

You can't go wrong however with depending on the Spirit, and He will certainly give you the topic, and how to put the points together to make the most effective use of His Word.

 

[DeaconDean]

As a Lay Minister and Deacon, I have had the opportunity to preach in my church. I began taking seminary classes at our local Baptist Association. One class I was required to take was "Contemporary Christian Preaching." In this class we were taught to use "illustrations" as part of an effective sermon. But one thing we were also taught was to limit our illustrations to less than 2 minutes. If a sermon is mostly "illustration" how can the pastor be feeding the flock? Are we not as ministers supposed to prayerfully seek out and listen for the message that God wants us to bring? My sermons usually consist of an introduction, scripture, prayer, and about 4 to 5 areas of exposition of scripture where an illustration is used. Then a summary and a conclusion with prayer and an altar call. My sermons run from 25 to 45 minutes. I feel any longer than that and I usually lose some to sleepy eyes. (hehe) I hope this has helped. I work 3rd shift and go to seminary classes, but hopefully this fall I will be admitted to Gordon-Conwell College to get my Masters of Theology in Christian Leadership. Pray for this to come about please.