This series of posts comes from a research paper I wrote for a class at Boyce College.
Now that we have seen the purpose of preaching and prayer in the gathered church, we can better appreciate what we have lost in much of our modern church practice. There are two major shifts I want to draw attention to in this part of the paper.
The Shift from Biblical Preaching to Cultural Charisma
There is a shift from biblical preaching to cultural charisma. This shift is evidenced in many ways, only a few of which will be mentioned here. One evidence of this shift is that sermons have become shorter and shallower. In his brief article on the three approaches to sermon length, Thom Rainer said, “The most frequent preaching length is 20-28 minutes…The most frequent rationale for this length is that it is received best by our culture of shorter attention spans.”[1] What is obvious from this observation is that many pastors are letting the culture decide their practice. Of course, the shortening of sermons naturally inhibits the ability of the preacher to properly expound the text.
Another evidence of this shift is that more emphasis has been placed on the pastor’s ability to win over a crowd than on his ability to “accurately handle the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, NASB) There is no shortage of preaching gurus offering workshops to develop pastors’ preaching skills. These workshops tend to focus on secular public speaking strategies while leaving out any emphasis on a proper grasp of doctrine. One great example of this approach is the blogs, courses, and offerings of Carey Nieuwhof.[2] In his offerings, as a self-styled professional communicator, he uses secular communication models to inform how pastors ought to approach their preaching.
This shift also evidences itself through a change in understanding of why the church gathers to begin with. As exemplified by the seeker-sensitive movement, the church gathering has become laser-focused on public appeal. In so doing, many churches have abandoned the biblical purpose, which is the edification, fellowship, and equipping of the saints. As one faithful pastor put it, “Entertainment is not what our people need. It is not what the nation or the world needs.”[3]
In the churches driven by public appeal, a large amount of energy has been spent on things like the environment and experience of the worship service. Many of the decisions are made with public opinion in mind. In addition to this, the modern age has seen the construction of welcome centers, coffee bars, and dining services. All of these things evidence a man centered strategy to create and keep interest. When we focus everything in our churches on intrigue and entertainment value, it only makes sense for the sermon, and the worship, to follow the same pattern.
The last evidence that I will mention is that pastors have become so busy with things like vision casting and team development that they hardly have time to do serious study of the Scriptures.
The 21st Century secular industry saw a rise in the leadership model of vision, mission statement, and team development. Instead of retaining its distinction from the world, the church gradually incorporated these things into the pastoral role. As a consequence, pastors gained all manner of extra responsibilities including management, strategy, team development, and task-oriented responsibilities. Over time, the pastoral role has come to look more like the CEO of the company than the shepherding of the souls.
This has forced many preachers to produce canned, thrown together sermons because they did not have the time to do adequate study. This has also produced a burdensome stigma on pastors, which says that if the pastor spends too much time in his study, he is not effective. We would do well to return to what Paul Washer suggests when he says, “Get yourself in your study. Drink deep. Be so absorbed in the knowing of God that people say, ‘Where is he’?”[4]
The Shift from Gathered Prayer to Strategic Programming
The second shift has brought us away from the emphasis on gathered prayer and to the reliance on programs and strategies. In churches today, the prayer meeting can scarcely be found. Whenever it is found it is usually conducted in some strategic, creative way. However, in most cases, the prayer meeting was tossed out to make room for programs. This has developed a man-centered approach to ministry and church growth; one that relies on strategy and human cunning instead of the Spirit.
Let Scripture guide our understanding. “You have sown much, but harvested little…Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified.” (Haggai 1:6-7, NASB) God’s people were busy trying to survive and make things work. God rebuked them for neglecting His temple, and thereby, the right worship of Him. He calls them to stop all their strategies and focus on the rebuilding of His temple, promising He will take care of the rest.
We need to stop strategizing and programming everything. We need to get back to the basics of prayer. Only when we let go of our own cunning and rely on God’s Spirit will we see revival. King David serves as an example for us. “Go and say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord, are you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in…The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you.” (2 Samuel 7:5-11, NASB)
David wanted to strategize the building of God’s temple and take it into his own hands to do it. However, God reminded David that all that has happened has been from Him. He then says He will build David a house. It is God who builds the house. Our role is to pray in expectant reliance upon the Spirit, ready to be faithful and obedient to Him. May we not learn the hard way that “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it…” (Psalm 127:1, NASB)
Is Vision Such a Bad Thing?
The argument in response to this is typically that we should not throw out strategy and programming. In fact, these things are necessary in order to organize our prayers and gain an audience for our preaching. The text often used is, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18, KJV)
When You Understand the Text
Those who quote this text conveniently leave out the second half, which interprets the meaning of “vision.” The full text reads, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” (Proverbs 29:18, KJV) This text does not deny my point. It furthers my point. The “vision” here is talking about the law. In other words, it is the revealed Word of God.
Without the revelation of God’s Word properly presented and applied, people perish. However, joyful life will come from a right understanding and devotion to the Word. Therefore, this verse actually enhances the argument for the necessity of a focus on biblical preaching.
Strategy is not what leads to revival. It is the faithfulness of God’s people, their submission to His Word, and their reliance upon Him in prayer that leads to revival. Lloyd-Jones agrees:
“Read the story of any revival that has ever taken place and you will find that the beginning of it is always the same. One man, or sometimes a number of people, suddenly become alive to the true Christian life, and others begin to pay attention to them…Revival always begins in the Church, and the world outside seeing it, begins to pay attention.”[5]
Conclusion
As I have argued in this paper, in order to see true revival, the church must return to an emphasis on preaching and prayer.
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[1] Thom Rainer, “What Thom Rainer Learned About Sermon Length,” Sermon Central (blog), September 16, 2019, https://www.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/sermoncentral-what-thom-rainer-learned-about-sermon-length-2363.
[2] Carey Nieuwhof, “Communication and Preaching,” Carey Nieuwhof, accessed May 3, 2022, https://careynieuwhof.com/category/communication-and-preaching.
[3] John Piper, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals ((Nashville: B&H, 2013), 91.
[4] Paul Washer, Ten Indictments Against the Modern Church (Chapel Library, 2012), Chap. 10, “The Tenth Indictment: Pastors Malnourished in the Word,” para. 14, Kindle.
[5] D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1965), 108.