Frederick Stamm, radio minister for the Federal Council of Churches of America, after preaching to an estimated 10,000,000 listeners each Sunday for ten years, over a coast-to-coast radio network, gave a list of reasons why people do not go to church, based on reasons written to him by the laity in 250, 000 letters. Reason number I why people do not attend church more regularly, according to Doctor Stamm, is poor preaching. -The people are tired of lifeless words," says he.
Is our Seventh-day Adventist clergy also guilty of poor preaching"? Do we sometimes preach with lifeless words? If so, what is the cause ? How can we improve? The messenger of the Lord once wrote: "The sermons preached by some of our ministers will have to be much more powerful than they are now. . . Every discourse should be given under a sense of the awful judgments soon to fall on the world."—"Testimonies," Vol. VIII, pp. 36, 37.
Perhaps the first prerequisite to "preaching with power" is true piety in our own lives. Note again the Spirit of prophecy on this point: "Piety in the daily life will give power to the public testimony."—"Gospel Workers," p. 204. "If you would draw sinners out of the swift-running current, your own feet must not stand on slippery places."—Id., p. 274.
Some preach as if shooting darts at the people, driving them, as it were, for thirty or forty minutes; and then, in the last five or ten minutes, they make a desperate attempt to turn the tide and draw the people to Christ. Some present intellectual discourses, and fail to present Christ and draw men to Him. Every statement we make should tend to draw people to Jesus. We should never seek to drive the truth home. We do too much driving and not enough drawing. In drawing people to the Master, just about as much depends on how we speak as on what we speak. Our message should be delivered in a positive, but not in a harsh, manner. Note carefully these pertinent statements from "Gospel Workers:"
"Let no harshness come into your utterances."—Page 163. "Hearts are not melted even by truth when it is presented in a cold, lifeless manner."—Page 157. "Many of our ministers have merely sermonized, presenting subjects in an argumentative way, and scarcely mentioning the saving power of the Redeemer."—Page 156. "Tame, formal discourses have in them very little of the vitalizing power of the Holy Spirit."—Page 165.
Even polished rhetoric may be harsh to the soul. We should speak with reverence and not shout at the people. The truth should be given in a plain, clear, positive manner. It is the word of God which "is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword."
People may be stirred by our oratory and eloquence, but not brought any nearer Christ. What we need to do is to break the bread of life to starving souls. Some ministers seem to feel that the success of their work depends on polished oratory. They give much thought to the use of new words and high-sounding adjectives. The following statements from "Gospel Workers" will help us to see the difference between false and true eloquence:
"Let no minister suppose that he can convert souls by eloquent sermons."—Page 155. "He who in his preaching makes eloquence his highest aim, causes the people to forget the truth that is mingled with his oratory."—Page 153. They may speak in terms of admiration of the minister's eloquence, but they are not brought any nearer to the point of decision." —Page 154.
Our concern should not be how many people admire our oratory and eloquence, but how many conversions there are as a result of our ministry week by week. If we would possess the genuine quality of true eloquence, we must humble ourselves, that God may be exalted. "A heart that feels the tenderest sympathy for human beings, especially that they may be won for Christ, will have the attributes that Christ had. All such will be imbued with His Spirit. They will have a reservoir of persuasion and a storehouse of simple eloquence."—"Testimonies to Ministers," p. 120. Apollos was a truly eloquent man. The secret of his eloquence is revealed in the statement that he was "mighty in the Scriptures."
Often we spend too much time with magazine articles, newspaper clippings, and long stories, to the neglect of the Word. Do we, while condemning Bibleless preachers, sometimes preach Bibleless sermons? Such sermons, eloquent as they may be, do not result in conversions. If we would make our work truly successful in winning many souls to Christ, we must learn to teach the people the simple lessons given by Christ. We miss the mark if we merely convey information and convince the intellect. Too much precious time is lost merely entertaining. "Present the truths that will decide the destiny of souls." —"Gospel Workers," q. 148. "Let the science of salvation be the burden of every sermon." —Id., p. 160. The object of preaching is to break the bread of life to starving souls, and lead them to conversion.
Lift up Christ in what you say and in the manner in which you say it. "The goodness, the mercy, the compassion, the tenderness, the loving-kindness of God are to be expressed in the words."—"Testimonies to Ministers," p. 151. Such preaching softens and subdues the soul. It draws men to Christ. We cannot drive men to Christ. The only way that we can lead them to Christ is by lifting Him up. John 12:32.
Many of our discourses appeal to the head, but very slightly to the heart. They convince, but fail to move men and women to action. But if we present the gospel in tenderness and love by soul-stirring sermons, the people's hearts will burn within them. They will be "pricked in their hearts," and will audibly or inaudibly exclaim, "What shall we do?"
Too often we overemphasize the justice of God and fail to stress His tenderness and great love. The effectiveness of our discourses depends largely upon the appeal which has been made throughout the entire sermon. We must constantly speak to both mind and heart. By inspiration, we have been told that we should make fervent appeals in every discourse.
The minister's utterances, to be effectual, must reach the hearts of his hearers."—"Gospel Workers," p. 152. "In every congregation there are souls who are hesitating, almost decided to be wholly for God. Decisions are being made; but too often the minister has not the spirit and power of the message, and no direct appeals are made to those who are trembling in the balance."--Id., p. 151.
Those of us who are handling the words of life, and presenting them to the people, must present them in love and deep earnestness. The people should feel kindness and sympathy in our voices. We must combine courage and force with gentleness and kindness. Much thought is given in our preaching to instruction, but too little to decisions. The success of our final appeals depends upon how far the people have already been drawn during the discourse, not so much by our theology and oratory, as by the plain, positive gospel truth given in sympathy and love. Our discourses should not only persuade men to say, "He proves his points; I believe he speaks the truth," but, "I must live differently. I must take my stand. I know Christ is with him." It is one thing to get people to believe what you preach, and quite another thing to get them to follow it.
Do not be satisfied to be the most convincing preacher. Strive to be the most winning voice sounding in your city. Speak to the hearts as well as to the minds of men. Such preaching will cause men and women to do what they had never dreamed of doing because they are moved to action in harmony with the will of God. Give people an opportunity to surrender. Give them an opportunity to openly express their convictions. Have the proper balance between reason and emotion. Satan is satisfied if he can get you to take either extreme. Let the spirit of earnestness radiate from your very being; let it be felt in your voice. Pray much, and souls will be impelled to surrender.
