Is your preaching merely teaching?

I need to be challenged, regularly. And so do you. At least, that’s what the Bible tells me.

There are various ways this can happen, but it’s through the Word that we can expect it to happen. Preachers should clearly and prayerfully explain the Word, and apply it to people’s lives.

Head, heart, and hands

The Bible makes a good and clear distinction between teaching and preaching. I’m afraid many of our sermons can just be teaching. That’s not bad. But it’s not enough. I don’t want people to go away at the end of a sermon I’ve given, merely thinking they’ve understood the passage better. Pure head knowledge - it’s good, but not enough. When I preach, I’m trying to engage a person's head, heart, and hands.

I’m seeking, with God’s help, to rightly explain the Word of God and help people apply it to their lives (that’s the hands bit).

Yes, of course, really good exposition will get to the heart (how many of us haven't had our hearts warmed or challenged as the Bible is explained really well?). But could we more directly address people’s hearts?

The heart comes a lot in the Bible. Apparently, there are over 800 references to the heart in the Old Testament (and 160 uses of the Greek equivalent kardia in the New Testament). According to Hebraic thought, the heart is the centre of our entire being, the seat of all our thoughts, feelings, and actions. It’s the real us. It’s where our decisions are made.

Address the heart

So, when did you last address people’s hearts? This may be overstating it, but if you don’t address the heart and help people to apply it (as well as helping them understand it) I’d say you haven’t quite preached a sermon. Given a lecture? No doubt. Taught people well? I’m sure. But actually preached a sermon?

Just recently I bought a small set of the famous Simeon’s preaching silhouettes. There are 9 of them, each with a title, including Imploring, Acquiring, Entreating, Applying, and Ascribing. I think they’re a good reminder that Simeon didn’t just give lectures from the pulpit of Holy Trinity Cambridge.

Preaching itself is more - much more - than just engaging people’s minds. We must teach people, and teach them well, but we must also engage their hearts.

So please, don’t forget my heart!