The Christian Post reports that pastors can now go to a website where they pledge to keep their sermons Bible-based, and avoid the rampant practice of so many modern-day pastors who preach sermons based more on positive thinking, personal wellness, general ethics and extra-biblical topics than they do on the Word of God.
At the LC I used to attend here in NorCal they had a guy on their pastoral staff who was a (professional) Motivational Speaker, and who was often asked by the SP to speak on Sundays, amidst a lot of flair and hoopla. They would even put up a life-sized, cardboard cut-out of him in the church lobby, of him standing with his hands held out and smiling. 
His “sermons” were usually quite animated, and were filled with various jokes, antics, high-jinks and histrionics, with him bouncing — and often jumping – all over the platform, and were filled with references that always managed to center upon himself, his wife, or his child. It was quite a show.
He always "preached" on the same motivational hokum he spoke on to all the secular corporations and Fortune 500 companies, with titles like: “Believing In Yourself,” “Don‘t Ever Quit,” “You Can Have What You Want,” and “Dare To Be A Dreamer.” The only difference was in the Sunday sermons, he would typically throw in one or two Bible verses to make it sound like the people were getting a real sermon. :wink:
As I recall, the people ate it up.
-joe
Not big on sermons here, Joe. Surprised?
Last night, KK and I went to a local production of ‘Godspell’ and while contemporized, it was moving to hear the teachings of Jesus told so simply. Reflecting on that and your post above, where the model sermon is the sermon on the mount, how is it that sermons today have become multi-part series of doctrines and theologies? For example, what person can sit through a sermon on Calvin’s unconditional election without falling asleep or texting others in the congregation with “what the hell did he just say?”
The visual and thought provoking parables of Jesus – a log or splinter in your eye – pigs trampling pearls – the pharisee and tax collector praying – the good samaritan – the prodigal son – God how my heart swelled with the telling of those stories and seeing them acted out before me – whether on stage or in my minds eye – what does it matter? I’ve heard very very few sermons in my life that engaged me the way Jesus engaged his followers …
There have been a few times where I’ve been chastised for my position on sharing the gospel – people have come to accept the defacto standard of an ordained minister delivering a sermon – when the Bible seems to suggest more of a Q&A type teaching environment led by an apostle and believers testifying of the Lord’s work in their lives. What part of a sermon, by a ‘pastor’ (shepherd) is Q&A? Where is there a biblical example of a shepherd/pastor delivering a sermon? Teaching is left to apostles as far as I can tell from scripture. And testifying is for everyone.
I’m particularly impressed with that passage which says “YOU are an epistle of Christ – written not in stone – but upon the tablets of your heart” … so where sermons are supposed to be based on the “Word” WHY is the WORD that is written on the hearts of believers, by JESUS, not given more air-time in the gathering of the saints? The way the IC seems to work is, ONLY the testimony of scripture is accepted in the assembly, believers are silenced, and only the pastor can testify. That is NOT Biblical!
Peter writes “always be prepared to give an accounting for the hope that is within you, WHEN YOU ARE asked” – that is our testimony of Jesus – our sharing from that “epistle of Jesus” written on our hearts. Revelation 19:10 says “the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus Christ” – so the essence of our testimony is prophecy (truth telling) about Jesus. WHY is testimony / prophecy silenced in the saints / in the churches?
I’d rather see pastors go to a web site and sign a pledge to SHUT THE HELL UP and let the saints testify about Jesus!
Before leaving “the church” it was all I could do to keep from SCREAMING as I listened to sermon after sermon. Even now, hearing a the “tone” of sermon is like finger nails on chalk board.
One of my favorite quotes from Laural Lee “When too much is said, nothing is heard.”
(anyone remember Laural? BT’s infamous hippy in the 70′s wrote a small book Walking through the Fire?)
I remember Laurel very well from old B.T. days, a wonderful sister in the Lord. Her courage and attitude inspired me….
She finally went to Jesus in 2004.
-joe
Good points 'Scrupe.
But you realize, of course, that the implementation of your scenario would then force tens of thousands of Senior Pastors, Youth Pastors, Ministers, and "Reverends" — not to mention hundreds of thousands of Local Church "staff" — to:
1. Carry on their "ministries" in a biblical manner.
2. Be cast out of a perfectly good
cash cow"profession."3. Force them to go out a get a real job (Acts 18:1-3), and actually have to do what the rest of us do to survive (1 Cor. 4:12a).
4. Work out of the limelight, and behind the scenes to further the Gospel of Jesus.
And where's the glory in all that?
-joe
It’s good they’re trying to be biblical. Even registering on a website, wow. The only problem is that the Mormons, Jews, Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Unitarian Church, Branch Davidians, ect ect believe whole heartedly that they too are being 100% biblical with each and every sermon. Ultimately, the biggest issue is that each church arrogantly feels that they are as close to New Testament truth as is humanly possible. And for this, CBC is especially guilty.
Are we talking about Judah Smith again?
Most people would rather go to an entertaining show, then sit and listen to truth. So sad.
He said “bouncing” – heh – reminds me of The Absentminded Professor and flubber – the 1961 version with Fred MacMurray …
I just watched this again on T.V. the other day.
But I kid you not, 'Scrupe, that was no exaggeration…..the guy literally jumped up and down, and bounced around the platform like he was on a pogo stick, reveling in the attention.
And it always grieved me because he did have a gift of communication that — had it been channeled properly, and away from himself — I always felt could have been used by the Lord to bring glory unto Himself.
That has become my sort of litmus-test for all ministry, whether it be special songs sung after announcements, holiday plays, or musicals; whether it be worship leaders or pastors; whether it be preachers or teachers: who is the one getting the attention, the singer/speaker or God?
Who gets the most mentions, the pastor and his family, or the Father?
And who are the people ultimately being drawn to, the preacher or Jesus?…..
-joe
Have you listened to TL Osbourne? He is one of the few charismatics who are gifted preachers and all his sermons are fully focused on Christ. He seems sensible, down-to-earth, realistic and it is never about himself. That gives me some hope for the charismatic world
No, but I know he was one of Pastor Iverson's mentors back in the day. And I, too, have hope for the charismatic world (Ephesians 5:26-27, NASB).
Laurel’s homegoing service was superb. They showed a video of an interview of her with her pastor in her final months that was truely a testimony.
The last 2 churches I attended rarely preached from the Bible.
One preached mostly from books written by mere men and once even on the movie It’s a Wonderful Life (or whatever the name of that Christmas movie so many seem to like) and the other spent most of his “sermon time” relating stories/antics of his children, one time about Elvis Presly, once about the JailBlazers…
I heard the same sermon for five years “The Kingdom of God” = “The Government of God”. mind you the pastor always made the time out sign you would see at football games in getting his last point across.
We were fed many doctirnes from other books, not the bible, and toward the end we were watching videos on Sunday mornings!
So be it for Industrial Church. Left me cold, cynical and wanting more.
Before leaving “the church†it was all I could do to keep from SCREAMING as I listened to sermon after sermon.
I can relate to that!! SCREAMING that is.