Without strong preaching. . .

Listed as a complaint by a Roman Catholic priest though without directly mentioning Roman parishes: Too many people today are without good, strong preaching, to the detriment of all. Of course, he is correct.  That applies also to Lutherans and just about any and every Christian tradition.  Strong preaching has gone by the wayside a long time ago.  What too many people hear today is weak preaching -- 

• preaching which avoids difficult texts, preaching which does not speak the whole counsel of God's Word, 
• preaching which dismisses the Biblical warrant when it conflicts with culture or feelings, 
• preaching which speaks more about happiness than holiness, 
• preaching which is designed to make the hearer feel better but fails to apply God's Word to their need, 
• preaching which is generic instead of specific, 
• preaching which spends too much time on pleasantries instead of truth, preaching  
• . . . need I go on?
  

Before we rush to blame the preacher, we must admit that we have no stomach for the truth or at least for the truth bluntly spoken.  We have learned to hear through the lens of culture, through the lens of our own preferences and opinions, and through the lens of our own hurts.  We are way too sensitive.  We are so easily offended.  We walk with our feet or we protest with our wallets when we don't like what we hear.

Many years ago a lay led Bible study was reading through the Gospels and one who attended was offended.  The person came to see me.  They were angry.  "so and so said that if a man divorces his wife and marries another he makes her an adulterer just as he is."  I played it coy.  I told the person I was pretty sure that this lay teacher did not say those words.  The person protested, "I was there!  I heard them from his own mouth!"  "No," I said, "You misunderstand.  I am pretty sure that Jesus said those words."  The conversation was not over.  Jesus saying something is never ever enough.  The protest was personal.  The son of this person had divorced two wives, was living with a woman who the parent hoped would eventually be his wife.  It was a hot mess and I am not simply talking about the situation with the son.  The desires of the parent and the love for the son had made them turn a deaf ear to the words of Christ and, worse, caused them to be so offended by the Word of the Lord that they insisted it could not be as it says.  Surely this is what we have done on a thousand subjects and not just sex.  We do not hear because we do not want to hear and if we hear we are offended and reject what is said.  That is what vitiates against strong preaching.

There is too much weak preaching in Christian churches today.  We do not need to add to it.  There is plenty enough for everyone.  Instead let us be strong preachers.  I do NOT mean we should offend or be rude but winsome in speaking the whole truth of God's Word but strongly preaching that Word.  You don't have to be a jerk to preach strongly.  The world is not suffering for a lack of nice preaching but for a lack of strong, Biblical, clear, and bold preaching that applies God's Word to the people for their edification and sanctification as well as their salvation.