Shooting Blanks

I have recently been reminded that there are those who believe traditional preaching is a tactic relegated to the past. Some say it is no longer an effective means of reaching people. Case in point. . . Some friends attended a seminar this past weekend on the topic of Bible storytelling. The presenter suggested that expository preaching needs to be abandoned in favor of simply telling stories. He even suggested turning New Testament epistles into stories so people will be more prone to listen. His thought was that traditional preaching just doesn't work anymore. He is not the first to say such things. Even some men fairly well known in preaching circles such as Fred Craddock and Eugene Lowery have said much the same thing.

How shall I respond? Well, I'll just let God speak for Himself. "For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:17-18 ESV). Paul said Christ did not send him to practice religious rituals or to proclaim wonderful messages filled with human wisdom. Christ sent Him to do one thing, to preach the gospel, the message of the cross. Now watch closely. Paul said to do those other things would be to empty to cross of its power. In other words, the power of God lies in the preaching of the gospel. Preaching is indeed foolishness to many people. Paul even said so himself. The fact remains, however, that the preaching of the cross is the power of God to reach people. A few verses later Paul reemphasizes this fact. "But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:23-24 ESV). The preaching of the crucified Christ is both the wisdom of God and the power of God.

There is no doubt that much of what we call the "church" in America is suffering from a severe lack of power. The church is not impacting society. Society is impacting the church. The influence of the church has waned. For the first time in our nation's history polls indicate that those who feel the church has a significant impact on society are a minorty. It is said that eight out of ten teenagers who grew up in church will cease to attend church once they leave home. There is an absence of power. Yet the church has sought the power of God down many avenues. Pshychology which seeks to answer all people's questions and solve all of their problems, we've tried that. Entertaining folks with bigger and better buildings, shows, and programs, tried that too. Pursuing politics as a way to influence and change, it has all been tried before. These worldly tactics have made some churches bigger, but it hasn't made them better. It may draw a crowd, but it won't make converts. Despite the endless things the so-called "church" in Amerca has tried, it is more wordly than it has ever been. It is more biblically ignorant than it has ever been. It appears to have less power than ever.

The reason is simple. The power of God lies in the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know people say it is outdated. I know the "experts" say we have to give the people something they want. I know it seems foolish, but the Bible says that it is through the foolishness of preaching that God saves sinners (1 Corinthians 1:21). So, go ahead. Abandon Bible preaching if you choose. Tell your stories. Declare your pop-psychology. Trade traditional preaching for an open dialogue. Give up the preaching of sin for the power of positive thinking. Just know this. . . All you are doing is shooting blanks.