Since I am a youth pastor this particular quote hits close to home. The reason is how often students or people in general will say great job after you have shared God’s word. People will tell you “that was a really good message, thank you.” Thank you? For what? Pastor’s simply share what the Lord has laid on their hearts to share. The quote that I will share is from Adlai Stevenson. It says this, “In classical times when Cicero finished speaking, the people said, ‘how well he spoke,’ but when Demosthenes had finished speaking they said, ‘Let us march.’” Wow…let us march. That is the hope and prayer of most pastor’s. They have a desire for people to be moved into action. Too often people hear messages that are from the Lord and they do nothing. Keep in mind that hopefully the pastor is Spirit-led and therefore the message is not his own anyway. We must know that the message is coming from the Holy Spirit within. I unfortunately will evaluate messages that I hear. Should I? Why would I evaluate a message that came from the Lord? I shouldn’t evaluate…I should simply follow or not. What about you? Do you evaluate whether someones message is good or not? If they are sharing God’s word shouldn’t we ask whether we will follow wholeheartedly. That is the point here. Will you say “I must march.” It is time to move into action. Remember, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22)
August 28, 2008 at 4:15 pm |
i heard something about the whole “good sermon, pastor” convo the other day. i can’t remember it now but i think you would’ve enjoyed it. i’ll try to find it. i think it was on a podcast. i like the let us march thing.
i like expository preaching – it exposes the WORD OF GOD, which limits personal opinion being declared as truth, or some topic randomly picked to talk about in a series because it makes listeners feel good or because the speaker has an opinion about why people need to hear it. preaching scripture leaves the work of stirring hearts to the Lord not to the cleverness of the speaker.
maybe the reason we judge is because we know the corruption in the church and since the church doesn’t live like the Church we have reason to question the hearts of those who are leading us. that’s not me justifying our judgment, just my thought on why. perhaps when i hear “good” sermons – sermons filled with truth that spurs you to march – i dont have a reason to question their heart, but when i hear “bad” – feel good messages – then i wonder the motives behind the words.