7 Reasons Why Preaching Isn't Dead
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7 Reasons Why Preaching Isn't Dead
God speaks, so should we!
Editor's Note: Krish Kandiah, president of London School of Theology, recently did a point-counterpoint two-part blog series on why preaching is dead and why preaching lives. First, Kandiah give us seven reasons why some people in our culture or even in the church use to argue that preaching is dead. Hold on because Kandiah doesn't really believe that preaching is dead. But be forewarned: we can kill preaching by practicing it wrongly. Then Kandiah argues persuasively as he gives seven solid reasons why preaching is—or can be—still very much alive.
7 Reasons Why Preaching is Dead
Preaching is a dead form of communication. In a post-Google setting people want the right to reply. Preaching leads to a poor retention of information. Even the best monologue practitioners are performers seeking to entertain—e.g. Stand-up Comedy—and their aim is to provoke shock, laughter, and to sell a lot of products, which are (hopefully) very different motivations than for preachers. ...
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Jim Janossy
Good article, provokes thinking. I have heard more sermons I can't recall than ones I can remember, but some were stunning! Bob Chavez formerly of Victory Outreach Torrance (California) gave some extremely powerful sermons in 2011-12 which even had one of my sons (in his twenties and skeptical) self-admittedly "on the edge of his seat!" and they were long--typically more than an hour. What made them so memorable? a) they applied bible teaching to real life b) in so doing they taught you how people in the bible had "been there" and "done that" with problems you were facing now, c) they were delivered by a man who had "been there" too, and d) they were delivered with conviction, not just spoken. These are all critical factors in preaching successfully.
Bob
And then there's the "Missouri" rule of preaching, via Samuel Clemons: "Few sinners are saved after the first 20 minutes of a sermon."
MaryP
I don't believe that preaching is dead when it is necessary since preaching should bring inspiration and teaching brings information. However I believe that we are under the dispensation of teaching rather than preaching. We do need preachers because its part of the five fold ministry, but unless the preacher is holy spirit filled they sound like tinkling brass and sounding cymbals.
Gary Sinclair
I think preaching can have a place in today's church when done well as Dr. Kandish outlines. However, to focus largely on sequential teaching of texts hardly seems the way to "stay on track" when as pastors we must also be Spirit sensitive to what our church needs to know or hear at a given time. The Word must not merely be informational but also transformational.
Jeff Payne
How shall they hear without a preacher? Preaching is only dead when preachers are dead.