John Coulter: Traditional Christian preaching is still relevant and has a future in the modern world
With many Christian denominations facing a steady fall in the numbers in the pews on Sundays, does this situation have a knock-on effect for the age-old art of preaching?
Put bluntly, as my headline states - does traditional preaching still have a relevant future in modern Ireland?
The simple answer is ‘yes’ if we truly follow Scripture. In Mark’s Gospel, Chapter 16, verse 15, Christ commands us as believers: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (King James Version)
Likewise, preaching, according to Scripture, is not just about salvation; it should also be about building up believers through teaching.
In Matthew 28 verses 19 and 20, we are commanded under the banner of The Great Commission: “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” (KJV)
Similarly, preaching should not be confined to places of worship. There is an important role for open air evangelism. Luke 14, verse 23 reads: “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in that my house may be filled.” (KJV).
However, in following Scripture, as preachers of the Gospel we need to ensure there is effective spiritual and practical preparation before sharing the Word.
Seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit through prayer is essential, as Act 1 verse 8 dictates: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (KJV).
Given the rapid increase in the influence of the digital revolution in this third millennium, the false perception could be fuelled that the role of preaching in the Christian life is becoming less relevant and Christians can search the internet for spiritual guidance.
This falsehood has been debunked by the prominent evangelical author John Stott in the promotion of his book, I Believe in Preaching. He states: “I do believe in preaching. I deliver that nothing is better calculated to restore health and vitality to the Church or to lead its members into maturity in Christ than a recovery of true, biblical contemporary preaching.”
Author Haddon W Robinson, in his work Expository Preaching: Principles and Practice, is even more emphatic in his section The Case for Preaching: “In spite of the ‘bad-mouthing’ of preaching and preachers, no one who takes the Bible seriously should count preaching out.”
In arguing the need for expository preaching, Robinson is equally emphatic that the preacher must not see themselves as the centre of the message, otherwise the sermon will deteriorate into a personal agenda: “Those in the pulpit face the pressing temptation to deliver some message other than that of the Scriptures - a political system (either left-wing or right-wing), a theory of economics, a new religious philosophy, old religious slogans, or a trend in psychology.”
Whilst the preacher must deliver the Christ-centred, Holy Spirit-driven message which has been laid on their heart through prayer and devotion, in this digital era of the sound-bite and snappy headlines, the sermon must not deteriorate into an entertainment session for the congregation.
It must not become ‘death by powerpoint’ so that the congregation only remembers the fancy images.
Likewise, as preachers, we must not succumb to the so-called Eutychus Factor as bluntly outlined by authors Gary Millar and Phil Campbell in their work, Saving Eutychus: How to preach God’s word and keep people awake.
This is a reference to the Biblical character Eutychus in Acts 20 verse 9: “And there sat in a widow a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep; and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.” (KJV). Our communication style must not become so mundane that we bore the congregation to death!
However, there is a need to recognise the impact which digital technology will have on the future of preaching. Post pandemic, many preachers continue to live-stream their sermons.
Whilst this may be a very effective tool in allowing those who physically cannot come to church to hear the Gospel, preachers must take account of the pitfalls of the 2003 Communications Act.
In 2016, Pastor James McConnell of the Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle in Belfast was cleared of charges under the Act over comments on the internet denouncing Islam. It referred to a live-streamed service in May 2014.
He was accused of the improper use of a public electronic communications network and causing a grossly offensive message to be sent by means of a public electronic communications network.
He denied all the charges and was cleared after a three-day trial at Belfast Magistrate’s Court in a verdict which upheld his right to offend under the principle of freedom of expression.
While preaching has a future, preachers must note the impact of this act if delivering sermons online about topics such as marriage, sexual orientation, hell, or lake of fire.
Dr John Coulter has been a journalist since 1978.