In church, there seems to be the idiosyncratic idea that one can be
edified through any given sermon no matter the topic, content, or speaker. However, I seem to only find sermons
edifying (or touching) if the speaker is very sincere and into it
(probably as a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit), if the
topic or material is new, or if the speaker goes deeper (or offers a new
perspective) on a familiar topic. And yes, these types of sermons are
many, and I do often find something interesting in a sermon (thank
God!).
However, sometimes sermons don't offer any of these things. The
speaker may not seem sincere (maybe they're into it, but more in a
speechy or didactic manner), the topic is not new, and the material does not go any
deeper beyond what has been recently repeated. For example, let's take
"instructions about baptism." Say the speaker mentions things like "head
bowed down" with appropriate verses and canonical interpretations (Rom 6:5, John 19:30). He mentions
5-10 similar items in a 45 min sermon. If you listen to this sermon, you
feel instructed if you never knew it. You underline these verses and memorize. However, after a few times, if the
speaker keeps giving the same information, you don't gain anything, especially
if there is no exhortation with feelings/sincerity. Okay, if the sermon had something deeper about each item like a new testimony, then you gain something. If the speaker is sincere and pleads with you, then perhaps you are touched. But, if there are none of these, you're just listening to something you can also recite (at least, if you were paying attention in the past).
And then poor you. You feel like you know this stuff. Are you supposed to feign ignorance to humble yourself? That's unnatural and fake. I guess you just practice patience and hope others are edified, right?
Now, if you keep not getting edified from a variety of different sermons and speakers, then perhaps there may be some sort of personal obstacle/sin/pride. (Either that, or there are some even sadder issues.) However, I've experienced that in a single day, I listen to one really touching/edifying sermon, but then afterwards, I listen to another sermon that is completely unedifying. So, when we say that it's our own fault for not being edified by the sermon, can that really always be true? Why isn't it because the sermon contains no new material? Why isn't it because the speaker is not filled with the Holy Spirit? If they were, I'm sure there would be undeniable power.
Anyway, this post may sound like some sort of rant or complaint. But, the takeaway, I hope, is that we shouldn't find it too strange and beat ourselves up for not being edified in a sermon (although in some cases we should). Instead, we should pray all the more so that God's workers can be powerfully cultivated, so that their sermons can truly be edifying, powerful, and touching by the power of Christ's Spirit.
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heh..interesting post. wonder what people have to say about it since i also wonder if something's wrong with me if i don't feel that edified (but usually i can think of more than a few things that are).
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ReplyDelete(Re-post, some obvious typos in the first one)
ReplyDeleteIn explaining Rev. 6:5-6, Pr. Ko once shared that if we read all four horses from the perspective that it pertains directly to the church, in the end times there is also a famine for the word of God inside the church. But it's not that there is no food to eat, rather, there is food, but everyone will have to work to get it. Since a denarius is a day's wage; a quart of wheat is the amount a blue collar worker/laborer would eat in a day; and three quarts of barley is the amount a white collar worker (e.g. scribes, etc.) would eat in a day.
So he shared that, even today we see that happen in the church, mainly because most believers have a very full understanding of the Bible already. But even though there is a scarcity for the word of God, it does not mean it does not exist. There is still food, but each person has to work for it. Someone else can't work for your food (since your own day's wage is only enough to purchase food for yourself). And his conclusion was: Whether the speaker was good or bad is not the determining factor on whether we have spiritual food to eat or not (he goes on to say, especially since, during the fourth horse, the speakers/teachers are often also the wild beasts within the church). Instead, the determining factor is whether we have worked for the day's wage or not.
His overall encouragement was then: It's important to work for our own day's wage; since if the speaker spoke something wrong, we will be able to discern it and not be affected (and find our food elsewhere...like the e-library, hehe); and if the speaker speaks what is correct, we will be ready to receive it. The bottom line being, this is still the church of God, so there must be a reason why God allows certain things to happen (e.g. the wheat and the tares).
A lot of times I would wonder why some speakers (or Bible study leaders) are allowed to speak, even though they consistently give unbiblical or predominately secular messages. Whenever I ask ministers why this is allowed to happen in various churches, they would share this is one of the reasons why we must pray for the church. Since the ministers can only advise the church council what to do, but if the council and congregation is spiritually weak, they can still decide otherwise (especially when addressing the quality of sermon speakers). But if the congregation is full of the Holy Spirit and spiritually mature (the council will also be mature, since the council is chosen by the congregation); then the congregation will naturally desire spiritual growth and hold a higher standard for speakers.
So...in the end, I think its most important to strengthen our own faith first. If there was an unedifying sermon given, then we can go seek out edifying ones later. (The worst case would be if we're hungry and we still don't find something to eat, then we'll starve, and die). Then, when we are strengthened, we can strengthen the congregation.