Preaching That Really Isn't, Part 3

Okay. Here is another example of what I call "preaching that really isn't." I heard this sermon preached last October. The text used was Isaiah 49:1-4. This is a part of the second of four Servant Songs in the book of Isaiah, all of which describe the Messiah. This particular text is part of a larger text, Isaiah 49:1-13, which describes how the Lord will restore His people and save the nations. The only part of the text that was a part of his sermon was the phrase "a polished shaft." I use the ESV and it reads, "a polished arrow." Now, in context the Servant of the Lord is being referred to as a polished arrow in the quiver of God. The point being that God will use Him to defeat the enemies of His people. The sermon, however, had absolutely nothing to do with the actual message of the text. The text itself was never explained. It was not really even referred to beyond the initial reading. The sermon was based on the phrase "a polished shaft." In the sermon the preacher likened the way Indians make an arrow to the way God calls and prepares preachers. Some of the points from the sermon were: the shaft is selected; the shaft is shaped; the shaft is smoothed; the shaft is straightened. You get the idea. For each point he described the process of working the shaft to make an arrow and likened that to what God does in the lives of His servants. It was interesting. Problem is his message had absolutely nothing to do with the Scripture he supposedly based it on. Not one of the main points from his sermon could be rightly drawn from the text he used without taking it out of context. Bottom line: he wasn't really preaching the Bible. He came up with an interesting, creative message and tried, unsuccessfully, to find a Scripture to go along with it.

There is nothing wrong with preaching that is interesting and creative. But God has called preachers to preach the Scripture and ONLY the Scripture. We must never misuse the text out of a desire to be creative. Listen preacher. Just say what the Bible says. That is preaching that God will bless. Stick to the text. You don't have to come up with a sermon. The text is the sermon. All you have to do is explain and apply it.