But, today I was nervous for additional reasons. I knew for a fact that in the house were members of a false religion (Mormons), very skeptical unbelievers related to Ms Connie's funeral yesterday who came only out of respect for her, unbelievers considering confessing Christ as an army commander considers his inventory before going to war, brand new believers with little foundation, believers who generally don't spend time thinking through deeper things, believers who have known God and the bible longer than I, PhDs in theology, and visitors from Southwestern Seminary who live life in the deep end of biblical thinking. How does one preach a sermon to such an eclectic group? Can it be done?
God reminded me today of the sufficiency of His Word. When pastors preach the Word, not something about the Word or loosely related to the Word, but the Scriptures themselves, everybody is affected. The lies of a false religion are exposed, skeptics have holes poked into their worldview, unbelievers are convinced to believe, young and longtime believers are discipled, and good thinkers and not so good thinkers are all fed. The best part of all is that none of it is accomplished by the preacher; it is the amazingly powerful Word of God that accomplishes this in us. His Word is alive and sufficient for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness.
To be sure, a preacher must consider his audience when preparing a sermon. It does make a difference. But the most influential factor must never be the audience, but rather accurately interpretting and teaching what the text says. Get that right, preacher, and you have provided the environment in which God and His Word can bring the increase.
I am thankful for the goodness of God, the sufficiency of His Word, and NEHBC's expectation for the Word of God to be proclaimed faithfully.
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