So much could be said about the sermon! We approach the preaching of the Word liturgically by praying and reading the text. We pray because we are coming before God’s Holy Word, and prayer is an act of humility. In the prayer, the minister acknowledges his own weakness and both the need of the Holy Spirit in order for the preaching of the Word to be effective and the promise of that same Spirit. We then read the text because it is the authoritative foundation of the sermon.
The sermon is the heart of the worship service. We’ve talked about our worship being a conversation between God and his people. In the sermon, God speaks the message of the gospel that gives meaning to every other part of the service and indeed, the rest of our week and the rest of our lives. This is why our sermons must be expository; that is, we, the preachers, must stay close to the text. We must explain what it means and why it matters and how we must live in light of its truth. This Word preached is our food, and these are the green pastures in which Christ leads us as our Shepherd.
Sermons can be preached topically or lectio continua. In other words, the pastor can decide what the topic will be, or he can preach through a particular book from beginning to end and let the text determine what the message will be. For reasons that I hope are obvious, at All Saints, we very much prefer the latter. That said, we do occasionally preach short topical sermon series, such as the series on prayer that we plan to preach this Summer.
As under-shepherds of Christ, Pastor Nathan and I are called and charged by God to feed you, his sheep. And we do this in no more faithful way than when we carefully preach the truth of God’s Word from the pulpit on Sunday mornings. In it, God speaks to the heart of each person who is present.
Your part in the preaching of the Word is what we call active listening. You ought to have the Word open before you, following along as the text is read. And you should have your head up and your eyes on the preacher—a practice that enables you to more carefully follow along. You should be listening and considering the preached Word. Do you see what the preacher is saying in the text? How should you respond in your heart to this message? Is there comfort for you? Correction? How should you live now in light of what you have heard?
When each is faithful during the preaching of the Word—the preacher and the listener—God is always at work for the good of his people and the advance of his kingdom.
Your fellow servant of Christ,
Pastor Matt