The foolishness of preaching
Writing to the Corinthians, Paul described his calling as an apostle of Jesus Christ. “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” [1 Corinthians 1:17. KJV] In the next verse Paul explained that how preaching was received by the hearers depended on whether they were saved or lost. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” [1 Corinthians 1:18. KJV]
Matthew Henry wrote that the power and success of Paul’s preaching was not based on the wisdom of man’s words
…lest the success should be ascribed to the force of art, and not of truth; not to the plain doctrine of a crucified Jesus, but to the powerful oratory of those who spread it. He preached a crucified Jesus in plain language…This truth needed no artificial dress…it shone out with the greatest majesty in its own light, and prevailed in the world by its divine authority without any human helps. The plain preaching of a crucified Jesus was more powerful than all the oratory and philosophy of the heathen world.[1]
Henry went on to say that because worldly-wise men are puffed up by their own learning and imaginary knowledge, they despised the message brought by a few lowly fishermen. They considered such preaching foolishness, but it pleased God to save those who believed by such presumed foolishness.[2]
But is the foolishness of preaching the same as foolish preaching? Remember, Paul said that preaching the cross is considered by the lost as foolishness. Therefore, we may also say that preaching anything other than the cross is a contradictory message and may be called silly or foolish preaching and not the foolishness of preaching to which Paul referred. But herein we find a dilemma. How do those that perish and consider preaching foolishness become saved? The answer is found in the work of the third member of the Trinity—the Holy Spirit. This will be examined more fully later in this chapter.
The purpose and methods of preaching
The nature of the message that God has given in the Bible is essentially declarative. The declarative nature of the Bible’s message confers on preaching its importance. Preaching reflects the fundamental means by which the Word of God is declared to a gathering of His people. Through those gatherings we encounter Jesus and fellowship with Him through his word. “It is the chief function of the sermon to unleash the word of the Lord in the midst of his people. It is the chief means by which the Lord directs, rebukes, sustains and invigorates his people.”[3] [emphasis added]
There are several methods by which one may preach or unleash the word of the Lord. We look to E. M. Bounds (1835-1913) for direction in this matter. His eleven published books center on the importance of prayer. But he talked of other spiritual things in his books which he knew to be inseparable from prayer. One of those was preaching by which he meant expository preaching.
That was true preaching—preaching of a sort which is sorely needed, today, in order that God’s word may have due effect on the hearts of the people…
No one having any knowledge of the existing facts, will deny the comparative lack of expository preaching in the pulpit effort of today. And none, we should, at least, imagine, will do other than lament the lack. Topical preaching, polemical (disputation) preaching, historical preaching, and other forms of sermonic output have, one supposes, their right and opportune uses. But expository preaching—the prayerful expounding of the World of God is preaching that is preaching—pulpit effort par excellence.[4] [emphasis in original]
If Bounds lamented the lack of expository preaching in his day, he would be appalled by the near nonexistence of it in many evangelical churches today. The absence of expository preaching is particularly notable in seeker-sensitive, Purpose Driven services.
Although expository preaching must be the center piece of preaching in the church, the intent here is not to judge preaching based on whether it encompasses entire books, just a few verses, or focuses on only one verse, whether by expository, topical, or other forms of preaching. As Nancy Pearcey points out, the problem arises when the Bible is treated as a collection of “facts” which produce a superficial interpretation of scripture devoid of metaphorical, mystical, and symbolic meanings.[5]
…by treating the Bible verses as isolated, discrete “facts,” the method often produced little more than proof-texting—pulling out individual verses and aligning them under a topical label, with little regard for literary or historical context, or the larger organizing themes in Scripture.[6]
The sharp rise in Bible illiteracy over the last half century is due in large part to at least five causes. The abandonment of expository preaching for other types, particularly topical preaching, is the major reason. A second reason is the decline in number of sermons that Christians hear from the pulpit. Thirty or forty years ago, the average evangelical church member would hear three or more messages preached each week compared to perhaps one each week at present. The church has replaced many regular preaching services with small group meetings and other religious activities that do not provide a consistent exposition of the Bible. A third contributing factor is a decline in regular attendance of church members at services where a message is preached. The fourth reason is the de-emphasis or complete elimination of a weekly Sunday morning Sunday school. The fifth reason is the replacement of hymns with their explicit doctrine-laced biblical themes with more contemporary, personalized themes. When all of these reasons are reduced to a mathematical examination, it is easy to suppose that thirty or forty years ago an average evangelical church attender may over the course of a year have heard 160 or more sermons preached and Sunday school lessons taught, all with a significant amount of Bible exposition and doctrinally-centered teaching. Today, the average church attender may hear as few as 25 or 30 sermons per year, most of which will have a much lighter, topical message with significantly less Bible exposition, doctrine, and teaching.
With this understanding of the true nature, purpose, and methods of preaching from the foregoing discussion, we shall examine the preaching that dominates modern evangelicalism in America.
Seeker-sensitive preaching
Rick Warren faults most traditional church services because he believes their messages are unpredictable in that they alternate erratically between evangelism and edification. He also believes that traditional services are poorly designed for unbelievers because they are not understandable. According to Warren, designing a seeker-sensitive service will address these deficiencies. As a result Christians will want to invite their friends which will produce a steady stream of unchurched visitors from which the church will be grown.[7]
Warren eliminates the supposed confusion of the unbeliever caused by messages of edification directed at the redeemed by designing and directing a substantial majority of his sermons as evangelical efforts to reach the crowd of unbelievers. Warren described the characteristics and construction of seeker-sensitive services and preaching.
Each week at Saddleback, we remind ourselves who we’re trying to reach: Saddleback Sam and his wife Samantha. Once you know your target, it will determine many of the components of your seeker service: music style, message topics, testimonies, creative arts, and much more.
Most evangelical churches conclude their worship service with an altar call. But many do not realize that it is a self-defeating strategy to focus the first fifty-eight minutes of the service on believers and suddenly switch to unbelievers in the last two minutes. Unbelievers are not going to sit through fifty eight-minutes of a service that isn’t in the slightest way relevant to them. The entire service, not just the invitation, must be planned with the unchurched in mind.[8] [emphasis added]
But Warren and the other Church Growth advocates have wrongly redirected the purpose of preaching from being primarily focused on the body of Christ to a weekly seeker-sensitive message aimed at the unchurched. This redirection has had a profound impact on the long-time faithful in many of those churches following the Purpose Driven model. The results of one study commissioned by a well-known mega church shocked its leadership when they discovered a widespread spiritual discontent among its most faithful members within or near what they considered to be their core group. This study will be discussed in a later chapter.
Warren claims that both book exposition (which supposedly works best for edification) and topical exposition (which works best for evangelism) are important in growing a healthy church.[9] Yet Warren plainly says that the thrust of his preaching is to the unchurched on a weekly basis. As a consequence, he rarely does expository preaching, and his topical preaching cannot be expository by its very nature.
In spite of assurances to the contrary, many evangelicals lack confidence in the Bible. Bible exposition from the pulpit has been replaced by meatless but entertaining and therapeutic messages with a biblical facade. Although they may be initially interesting and temporarily comforting, such messages will over time dull the senses of the listener who develops a deep hunger for God’s word and impatience with the inconsequential and light-hearted fare which they are regularly fed.[10]
Warren’s incessant focus on getting the unchurched into the church to hear a weekly evangelistic-topical message not only perverts the primary purpose and method of preaching to the church but also fails on three other counts: content, enlisting the power of the Word, and reliance upon the work of the Holy Spirit.
Preaching the cross
At its heart, all preaching must be a preaching of the cross. Preaching must not be separated into a special set of sermons for sinners and another set for Christians. It is readily admitted there are salvation messages and messages that edify, but to segregate or pigeonhole preaching into edification or evangelism is to limit or shackle the breadth of application and power of the scriptures.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. [2 Timothy 3:16-17. KJV] [emphasis added]
It is the Holy Spirit that prepares the heart of the listener to receive the message, whether he is saved or a sinner. Through the divine work of the Holy Spirit, a single sermon has the power to touch a multitude of people on a multitude of levels. One may need salvation, another edification, others encouragement for a variety of reasons, some for peace, and the list goes on. The preacher that through prayer has sought and is led by the Holy Spirit in preparing and delivering his message need not fret as to whether or not he has correctly assessed and targeted his audience and delivered an understandable message.
The power of God’s word v. the power of man
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. [Isaiah 55:11. KJV]
Warren’s belief that traditional messages are not understandable by the unbeliever devalues the power of the Word to draw the sinner to Christ. The sinner may not understand every scripture used by the minister, but the scriptures are not ordinary words but God-inspired and have power to accomplish its purposes beyond a preacher’s limited ability to articulate what he thinks God is trying to convey and the listener’s ability to comprehend.
Too often, new paradigm churches dumb down the message of the Bible and therefore make it a husk without the life sustaining core from which spiritual nourishment is found. Words, illustrations, stories, and loose interpretations are often used inappropriately and excessively to such an extent as to make the clear meaning and intent of the Bible completely distorted. Because of the cultural demand for microwaved, abridged, Cliff Notes-styled preaching that flows from modern intellectual laziness, there is a general belief among many evangelical leaders that rigorous study and expository preaching of the Bible and its doctrines is no longer necessary in our enlightened seeker-friendly age.
In seeker-sensitive preaching, there is an inherent conflict between preaching the cross and their goal of being sensitive to the feelings and needs of the unchurched. We find the correct answer to this conflict revealed in the book of Hebrews.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. [Hebrews 4:12. KJV]
Matthew Henry explains the work of the sword. “It is quick; it is very lively and active, in seizing the conscience of the sinner, in cutting him to the heart, and in comforting him and binding up the wounds of the soul.”[11] [emphasis added] Here we see that the Word not only accuses and cuts but comforts and dresses wounds. In the seek-sensitive church world, saccharine superficial messages attempt to massage and caress felt needs without the necessity of spiritual surgery. But the Word rightly applied cuts deeply beneath felt needs to the secret sin buried in the heart of man which Jeremiah called desperately wicked and deceitful (see Jeremiah 17:9).
The work of the Holy Spirit
Warren’s brand of evangelism effectively makes salvation a matter of works on the part of the preacher and merit on the part of the sinner. Both tend to ignore the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the sinner. The Holy Spirit can quicken or bring alive any message, be it of an evangelical or an edifying type, and use it to cut to the heart of a sinner. Paul said in Ephesians 2:1, “And you he hath quickened, who were dead in Trespasses and sins.” The “you” is the sinner who is spiritually dead because of trespasses and sin. The “he” refers to the Holy Spirit. By “quickening” is meant to be made alive.
But too often the sinner’s spiritual corpse is mistakenly diagnosed as being merely sick, faint, dispirited, calloused, hardened, or burnt-out. All suggest a spark of life still remains that will allow the sinner to do something to merit God’s forgiveness and return to His good graces. If only the minister can entice the sinner with the right presentation, illustrations, stories, and understandable words, he will admit to a mental awareness of his sinful condition, rededicate himself, turn over a new leaf, and try harder. But such is foolish preaching and inhibits the work of the Holy Spirit without which both the minister and the sinner are utterly powerless to lead the sinner from death to life. It is only through a clear presentation of the gospel and the convicting power of the Holy Spirit followed by repentance and abject surrender can the sinner find unmerited favor which is called the grace of God.
God’s ways cannot be reduced to a formula
Francis Schaeffer was one of the most widely recognized Christian thinkers of the last half of the twentieth century. He has said that God uses different ways in different moments of history, but he cautions that this freedom to use various ways in accomplishing His work has limits. First, in doing His work, we must live only in the circle of scripture and do what it says. We must not go outside of scripture and do what it says is sin. Second, in doing God’s work, His ways cannot be reduced to a formula. When we attempt to confine God’s ways to a formula, we rob Him of His personality, diversity, and sovereignty.[12] On the surface this would appear to be the same message as preached by Warren. However, a closer look reveals that Warren goes beyond the boundaries of this freedom within which the church and individual Christians must operate. Warren too often crosses the line with regard to accommodating and even encouraging the spirit of the world in the church. Second, and contrary to biblical commands, he had developed and maintained associations and relationships with the leadership of false and strongly anti-Christian religions. Third, in spite of all his assurances to the contrary, he has reduced God’s work and ways to a formula that has been extensively described and documented in this chapter and the last.
It would appear that Paul’s foolishness of preaching that was abandoned by the liberal church a hundred years ago is also being abandoned by many in evangelical churches today. In its place we see foolish preaching because it has little or nothing to say about the gospel of Jesus Christ, the cross, sin, forgiveness, death to self, and life eternal.
Larry G. Johnson
Sources:
[1] Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1961), p. 1803.
[2] Ibid., p. 1804.
[3] Peter F. Jensen, “A Vision for Preachers,” Doing Theology for the People of God, (Eds., Donald Lewis and Alister McGrath, ( Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1996), p. 219.
[4] E. M. Bounds, The Necessity of Prayer, from The Complete Works of E. M. Bounds on Prayer, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1990), p. 78.
[5] Nancy Pearcey, Total Truth, (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2004, 2005), p. 301.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Warren, The Purpose Driven Church, pp. 251-253.
[8] Ibid., pp. 253-254.
[9] Ibid., p. 296.
[10] Jensen, pp. 219-220.
[11] Henry, p. 1914.
[12] Francis Schaeffer, “Interview with Francis & Edith Schaeffer – God’s Leading in L’Abri & Our Lives,” How Then Should We Live?, DVD – Gospel Communications International, Inc., (Worchester, Pennsylvania: Vision Video, 1977).
