“GOOD COMMUNICATION!”

“Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching.”
(II Timothy 4:2)

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!... Let these words sink down into your ears…” (Luke 8:8, 9:44)

When it comes to Bible preaching there are two responsibilities, one belonging to the preacher and one to those listening.

There is a popular way of preaching and there is a better way. Some preachers read their sermons verbatim in the pulpit, but is that effective?

The story is told of a beginning preacher in a rural Scottish church. After the morning message an old farmer bluntly said to the young man, “I didn’t like your sermon for three reasons. In the first place, your read your sermon, and I don’t like read sermons. In the second place, you didn’t read it well, and if I must have a read sermon, I like it to be well read. In the third place, there wasn’t nothing worth reading in it anyway!”

The perfectly natural way for a message to be delivered is in a forthright, eye-to-eye, hear-to-heart extemporaneous manner. Let the Gospel be proclaimed with enthusiasm, sincerity, and proper decorum. Let it be stated in as fresh and original way as possible. Let the messenger leave self out of sight, be humble, but unapologetic. He represents the Lord!

The entire burden of communication does not rest upon the speaker. Those in the congregation have a duty to listen attentively, thoughtfully, and respectfully. Jesus urges us to “let His words sink down into our ears”, i.e., to listen deeply, intelligently. How many of us do? How easy it is to simply drift off in a dozen different directions during a bible School lesson or the Sunday sermon!—and then go home unmoved and unhelped, or complaining about a boring speaker! Wouldn’t things go differently if we prayerfully prepare and carefully concentrate when God’s precious Word is read and expounded?

The Word of God deserves our best!—Our best delivery when we teach or preach it!—Our best attention as we listen to it! May we give it!

Larry Atkin, Preacher