More Than A Sermon

Tens of thousands of preachers are getting ready to stand in the pulpit to preach. Many have worked and studied for hours to craft the sermon for their congregations. They have done word studies, did hermeneutical work to unpack the passage, researched illustrations to give further insight, and labored to organize all the material into a sermon body. Soon they will stand to deliver the product of all that work.

People in the pew need more than a sermon. They need a fresh word from God. They need to hear, "Thus says the Lord." They need to be brought into a divine encourager with God that is life altering. They need more than a sermon. They need to hear God's message.

I did a casual search of sermon topics this week on the internet. It saddened me to discover the results.. Here are just a few. Real Help For Real People, Seeing Grey In A World of Black And White, Rediscovering Your Identity, Steps Out Of A Mess, Seven Steps To Freedom, Prescription For A Happy Life, and Eight Keys To Optimum Health. There were many others.

In all my searching I did not see one series or one sermon text taken from a prophetic book like Joel, Amos, or Haggai. Yet those fiery men of God delivered the word of the Lord. They delivered more than a sermon. Often their messages hit hard  searing the souls and convicting the consciences of the listeners. These prophets fearlessly declared God's message to the most powerful and influential people in the land like kings and priests, as well as to the common people. They did not preach to win favors. These prophets were inspired by God and motivated by pleasing Him more than pleasing men. Not only were their messages often rejected but they were rejected as well.

We learn in Haggai that the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai. O how we need that today in our churches. We are past needing our ears tickled. We are past needing cute sermon series that wow the crowds but leave them unchanged and unrepentant. We need a fresh word from Heaven again. Some people  have told me those fresh words from God are hard to find in a sea of sermons that resemble more pop psychology than scripture.

For every man of God who fearlessly stands before their congregation declaring Bible truth to rebuke, reprove and exhort I salute you. For every man who declares, "This says the Lord," I applaud you. Messages on repentance are not good for church attendance records. Messages from the prophetic books often drive the throngs away. So preachers avoid them as they craft cute sermons that neither stimulate the mind nor stir the soul. Many of those sermons resemble icicles more than fire. We need fire in the pulpit again. Not man made fire with theatrics. We need the fire of God burning in preachers as they deliver fiery messages calling congregations back to God.

Sermons do very little but fresh words from God upset the status quo. That is exactly what Haggai did calling the civic and spiritual leadership to task over not rebuilding the Temple. The leaders were satisfied in living without a Temple. They busied themselves with other things that did not please or glorify God. Therefore they needed more than a sermon. They needed a word from the Lord. We all do.

I do not know where you will worship today. I challenge you to listen with discerning ears for a fresh word from God more than a sermon. We have all heard enough sermons but fresh words from God are rarer today.