On Preaching to Your Congregation

Bob Thune has some comments worthy of thought at The Resurgence* in an article entitled “Is Preaching Killing Your Church Plant?”

Preachers like Piper, Keller, Driscoll, and Chandler speak to thousands each week, and it's great to learn from those guys. But if you're trying to preach like those guys, you're probably making a mistake. Because let's be honest: you're not preaching to thousands.

I spoke with a church planter recently who couldn't understand why his core group of 30 wasn't bringing anyone to church. Answer? Because it's awkward to sit in a room with a few dozen people and get yelled at through a big sound system! It just doesn't fit the environment. I met another guy a few years ago (a Baptist brother, stereotypically) who was setting up a big wooden pulpit in his living room every week so he could preach to his core team of seven people.

Trying to preach like someone else is problematic for a lot of reasons, including the fact their audience is not our audience. We can learn to preach by listening to others. And we should.

But imitating them is not the same as learning from them.

It reminds of the old adage (which I will roughly paraphrase): If I listen to one man preach, I will learn to preach like him. If I listen to a hundred men preach, I will learn to preach like me.

Trying to be John Piper with the gifts of Charlie Brown and the audience found in a bad coffee shop won’t work and will be demoralizing.

In preaching, we must be willing to learn and improve, and we must be willing to be what God has called us to be.

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*You know the disclaimers.