There’s an old story which goes something like this. A young preacher in Kentucky wanted to make a good first impression on his congregation so he preached a fiery sermon against horse racing. After the sermon one of the deacons took him aside and reminded him that he was in horse country, and that many members enjoyed horse racing.
The next Sunday he preached a powerful sermon against smoking. The same deacon approached him once more. This time he reminded the preacher that tobacco was a major cash crop in that area, and that much of his salary was derived from tobacco money.
The following Sunday the preacher spoke out strongly against alcohol. Once more the deacon reminded him that the church building sat in the shadow of a distillery, and that many of the church members worked in the distillery.
Frustrated, the preacher demanded, “What can I preach on?” The deacon responded, “Why not preach against heathen witchdoctors? There isn’t one of them in a thousand miles of here!”
I’m afraid that many preachers today would commend that deacon for his keen insights and astute advice. After all, preaching ought to make people feel good. No one should be made to feel guilty. Sin need not be exposed. Everything is relative anyway. What may be one man’s vice is another’s virtue. That may be a fair assessment of modern preaching, but it is certainly not an accurate picture of New Testament preaching.
Paul charged Timothy: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2). When Paul preached to Felix and Drusilla, he spoke of righteousness, temperance and judgment to come (Acts 24:25). Felix trembled at such preaching! Preaching was not intended to satisfy the wants of people, but rather to address their needs!
We don’t need preaching against heathen witchdoctors, but we do need preaching against the sins that daily confront us. We need more sermons on gambling, smoking, drunkenness, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, greed, gossip, lying and covetousness. And this is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. Too many preachers are preaching against witchdoctors, when they ought to be dealing with the sins that plague us daily!
Have you heard a powerful sermon lately, or are you confronted with the weekly messages designed to appeal to everyone and alienate no one (except maybe witchdoctors)? Powerful preaching confronts sin and calls sinners to repentance. We need more powerful preaching!
