Pulpit, Meet Pew

Sometimes I confuse pulpits for lecterns. What do I mean?

I love preaching, I really do. And I don’t just mean the art or practice of it, but the purpose of preaching. The idea that words, guided by Scripture and empowered by the Spirit, are offered to men and women that produce life and salvation and clarity about all that is true. And that somehow, God has decided to do this through the voices of mere men. In fact, with myself, as Exhibit A, the ‘merest’ of men.

But somewhere between the seminary classrooms and the halls of church buildings, the content and relevance of preaching often gets lost in translation, and the purpose of preaching is forgotten. Instead of offering people truth that is accessible, what comes out is something more akin to a theological research paper that even the preacher can barely understand. And though it may not be intentional, it is often ineffective.

Over these past two weeks, I have felt conviction that my love for the people of Seven Mile Road needs to be reflected in my preaching. That when you hear from me, you’re not just hearing from a guy who seems to have the doctrine right, but with no clue of how to bring it to the ground in real life. Because the reality is that we are real people with real needs. And while preaching should stimulate our minds, the purpose is for transformation of the hearts of the people sitting in the pews. It’s easy to get excited about theology and sound doctrine without running it through the filter of human experience.

This week we preached on the topic of evil and suffering in the world. If there was any week in which the sermon needed to meet us on the ground and not feel like just lofty rhetoric, it was this week. Because we are a people who know evil and experience suffering. Suffice it to say, it was an intimidating task. But it was a good reminder for me that the pulpit needs to meet the pew and that we’re not just students sitting to listen to a lecturer. We are sitting as people who want and need to hear from a God who is real. So real in fact that he came down and lived on the ground with real people and knew them well. Jesus made a difference in the lives of those he walked with. Truth wasn’t just abstract and unaccessible to those who met him.

I’m grateful for the grueling process of preparing sermons. I’m grateful for brothers who push me  to pursue growth in preaching. I’m grateful for the family at Seven Mile Road who listens each week to flawed men who labor to preach the Bible faithfully. I’m grateful for the fruit that preaching produces, by the work of the Spirit, to regenerate and transform hearts. And I am humbled by a God who entrusts the work of gospel communication to imperfect men who are ever reliant on His grace.

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